Rise of the Dominion
by Lord22
Summary: Serena Calabas may be part of the Old Families, but she has always desired to be more than that. That is why she chooses to become the Magistrate of Mar Sara. Yet with two alien races ravaging the Koprolu Sector and a civil war among the Terrans, she may have gotten more than she bargained for… The first installment of the Serenaverse.
1. First Contact

**Chapter One: First Contact**

 _Emily doesn't talk much about the first contact she had with the aliens. With what happened out there on Chau Sara I had a devil of a time learning anything. What I do know is that she didn't have the faintest clue what she was about to see, or what she was going to get drawn into._

 _As far as she was concerned, she was on a routine pirate hunt._

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

From the gray steel bridge of the Battlecruiser Norad II, General Edmund Duke was in command. He looked through the view screen on the fringe world of Chau Sara. This kind of backwater was the last place he wanted to be at the moment. But it had been a particularly slow week or two, with most of the resistance groups being real quiet. Probably preparing for something big, though whatever it was Duke didn't know.

Either way that wasn't his problem right now. This was. Years of service in the Confederate armed forces. And his reward was a backwater post watching over fringe yokels. But he wasn't bitter.

'General Duke sir,' said an Ensign, whose name Duke couldn't be bothered to remember.

'What?!' he snapped.

The Ensign flinched at the words. 'We're receiving a transmission from the Magistrates Office in Los Andares. Should I patch it through?'

'Yeah,' said Duke, 'let's see what he has to say.'

On his screen appeared a middle-aged man with a mustache, and clad in an officer's uniform. It was a smart looking one, very clean and properly ironed. Duke disliked the man, though he wasn't sure why yet. He could find a reason.

'General Duke, it appears you've arrived just in time.' said Magistrate Collins of Chau Sara.

'Yeah, well, not much else to do since Korhal.' snapped Duke. 'Whadda ya want with Alpha Squadron?'

'As you well know, the renegades calling themselves the Sons of Korhal have been working for months to undermine Confederate Authority in the fringe colonies.' Collins paused, as if unsure of how to continue.

Duke did know that. The Sons of Korhal were the leading source of headaches for Confederate Generals. Himself included. 'Get to the point.'

'Well, they're on Chau Sara now, and I'd like to take care of them without involving the local militia.' continued Collins, glancing to one side. 'I'd rather not have any arrests if you take my meaning?'

So he wanted an example set. Was the militia that incompetent? Probably not, most militias didn't need much to turn a blind eye to the Sons of Korhal and other insurgent groups. The damn fringe yokels were all alike, didn't know where their loyalties lay.

'I read you.' said Duke. 'I'll get a company or two on it as soon as possible.'

'Good hunting.' said Collins, tipping his hat, before ending the transmission.

Duke sat back in his chair, reflecting on what he'd been reduced to. 'Ensign, start scanning the surface of Chau Sara for any sign of a base which isn't in the records. Start in the vicinity of the militia bases and move outwards. If it's painted red, that is where old Mengsk will be.'

'You mean Mengsk is here?' asked the Ensign.

Probably not. 'Just do it.' snapped Duke.

'Yes, sir.'

It took thirty minutes for the scanner sweeps to finish. During that time Duke reflected that he was getting older. And he wasn't advancing any ranks for his trouble. He'd stopped advancing a long time ago. He was at the end of his career, and here it was.

'Sir, here are the results we found.' The Ensign put them on screen. 'It looks like the Sons of Korhal have a base camp several dozen miles south of a militia base. It looks like a mining operation, and training camp.'

Duke considered the matter. This wouldn't need anywhere near the full strength of Alpha Squadron. Which was good since it wasn't here. 'Send down Lieutenant Swallow of Frontal Company. She can handle this.'

* * *

The craft shuddered as it entered the lower atmosphere. From her window, Lieutenant Emily Swallow looked out over the rocky sun-scorched wasteland. As they drew gradually nearer, she noted one of her marines praying to himself. Religion had survived the exodus from Earth. From there it had mutated into a variety of different sects. Emily didn't believe in any of them, she believed in the Confederacy.

The ship landed, kicking up vast clouds of dust around it as it gradually lowered down to the ground. The dropship doors opened up to reveal barren and windswept deserts around them. Alpha Squadron's finest disembarked from the ships and arrayed themselves in formation. The sun beat down on them, reflecting off their black visors. Even through her white, air-conditioned metal exoskeleton, Emily could feel the heat.

This was the sort of thing the colonists of the Confederacy endured. They dealt with it every day to increase the prosperity of the sector. They were a hardy lot, devoted more to simple pleasures than profit. Or at least that was what she read in her informational documents.

She turned her mind to the subject at hand. She could see the rocky cliffs looming over them some ways away. Duke had chosen to land his forces outside them, for fear of anti-air hidden in the rocks. So the rest of the way would be walked by her men.

Emily regarded the men and woman of Frontal Company. 'Alright troops, listen up, our scanner sweeps tell us there is a Sons of Korhal base over the next ridge. Our primary objective is to bring these renegades to justice. Then we'll show the people of the Confederacy that terrorism is not tolerated.'

'Yes, ma'am!' They answered with a salute.

'Theodore,' said Emily, 'I want you to take a few squads and scout the area ahead of us for any sign of resistance. Don't engage the enemy if you don't have to, and be careful.'

'Understood ma'am,' said the Second Lieutenant. 'I'll get right on it.'

He picked his men and moved ahead. Emily and her forces followed behind, their boots leaving great marks in the blasted soil. As they went, Emily wondered why it was that Duke had chosen to assign Theodore as her second in command. He certainly seemed to have high hopes for him. But Emily couldn't see anything about him which made him different from others. Many had been serving longer.

Then again Emily had not known him very long. No doubt things would become clear soon enough. There was always a purpose behind everything the Confederacy did.

Frontal Company made its way between the cliffs. Before long they were flanked by the rocky spires. It was an ideal place for an ambush, and Emily didn't like it. Looking around, she saw a way leading up onto the cliffs above. 'We'll get up there, and move along the cliffs as long as we can.

That way we won't be taken by surprise.'

Scaling the cliffs was made relatively simple by their armor. Though there were a few among her forces, who tripped and had to be helped up. Even so, they made it up to the top of the ridge. Swallow lowered her gauss rifle and scanned her surroundings for any sign of the enemy. She saw nothing, nothing but rocks and dirt.

And that more or less summed thing up for the rest of their journey. The sun began to sink towards the horizon, and before long it had dipped halfway down. As twilight fell over Chau Sara, Emily reflected that this was very boring and that boredom set her on edge.

'This isn't right, you know.' said Emily suddenly.

'What isn't?' asked Theodore.

'This is too easy.' said Emily. 'Other rebels do make this kind of mistake, but not the Sons of Korhal. We should have found some kind if resistance by now, a lookout, or a vanguard.'

'Maybe they got sloppy.' said Theodore.

'They have been here for months.' said Emily. 'At least according to the mission log. They must have had some sources which told them Alpha Squadron was in orbit. This is very unlike them.'

'Maybe it's some people using the Sons of Korhal's colors.' suggested Theodore.

'Maybe,' said Emily, but she doubted it.

She had a very ominous feeling. A threat was growing in her mind. The sense of danger only intensified as they came to the edge of the hills and saw the Sons of Korhal base camp. It was marked with their symbol, painted with their colors. It looked like a fairly well-developed base, but there was one problem.

There was no one in sight. The entire base looked empty. Here and there pieces of wreckage could be seen lying around.

'It looks abandoned.' said Theodore. 'You think they evacuated?'

'No,' said Emily, 'some of those buildings are portable.' She activated her vision enhancer on her visor and got a closer look. It was then that she realized that what she had thought was wreckage were corpses, a lot of corpses. She felt a prickling at the back of her neck as she returned her visor to normal and turned to Theodore. 'They're dead. Some of them anyway,' she paused, 'ready your weapons men and let's move. Scan for hostiles, and let's see what we can find.'

As they got closer to the buildings, they saw that they had been clawed and torn by something. The doors had been forced down, and most disturbing of all were the corpses themselves.

'These weren't killed by gauss rounds or flamethrowers.' said Emily.

'Siege tanks maybe?' suggested Theodore.

'The militia doesn't have siege tanks.' said Emily. 'And reports indicated that the militia had been compromised. And anyway these cuts aren't like the sort you'd see from shrap metal. It's like some kind of animal tore these people to bits.'

'It does look like claws now that you mention it.' said Theodore.

'This can't be, though.' said Emily. 'No animal alive could tear through marine armor.'

'Maybe, maybe not.' said Theodore.

Emily's danger sense was screaming. She felt as if the place they were in was about to come under attack. It was a sense she had learned to trust. 'Stay on guard. I'm going to have to call this in. General Duke needs to know about-'

'Sir, we've got incoming! And I'll be damned if I can identify em!' roared a soldier.

Emily rushed over to where he was and saw a great cloud of dust in the distance. In front of that dust were many small doglike creatures. They had massive bladed limbs on their back made for cutting and were moving as fast as a vulture.

'Those blades…' said Emily. Just like the ones that cut the bodies. 'Frontal Company form a battle line!

As the marines rushed to take positions in two ranks. One rank kneeled with their guns readied. The other setting their guns over their comrade's shoulders. Emily and Theodore stood at the end.

'We don't even know what they are.' said Theodore.

'They killed these people.' said Emily. 'I know it.'

The creatures were in range.

'Open fire!' said Emily.

There was a roar of gauss fire as every marine opened up with a hail of impaler rounds. The beasts screamed as they were torn to ribbons in seconds, yet there were always more behind them. For a moment, the approaching formation was held in place.

Then it began to advance on them. Emily had never seen anything like it. With every passing moment, the creatures lost more of more of their kind, but it didn't matter. They just pressed forward, not caring for their losses. As her rifle rattled in her hands, she felt cold sweat going down her face.

This wasn't natural. Even the bravest of marines would have broken after losses like this, and yet they kept coming. Finally the last of the creatures fell dead. Dead silence followed as Theodore moved forward to check the bodies. After a moment he walked back to them. 'What the hell were those things?'

'I don't know.' said Emily. 'Aliens I guess. What are our losses?'

'None, ma'am.' said Theodore. 'We got them all. I'd say we killed at least six hundred.'

Six hundred kills with no casualties. Good results and Emily was relieved no one had been killed. 'I've got to make my report to General Duke.' said Emily. 'He needs to know about this.' She opened a channel. 'General Duke sir, we've made First Contact with a new alien species.'

'First contact?' asked Duke. 'What are you talking about, girl?'

'They attacked us.' said Emily. 'They appear to be some kind of doglike creature with spines. We believe they slaughtered the Sons of Korhal base we were assigned to destroy. Our mission was complete before we even got here, sir.

'What are your orders?'

There was a long silence on the other end.

'Sir?' asked Emily.

'…Stand by for evacuation, I'll see what I can wrangle up about this. We may know more than we think.' said Duke.

'Yes sir.' said Emily. 'Swallow out.'

She looked to Theodore. 'Whatever it was, we're done here. General Duke is having us withdraw back to Alpha Squadron.'

'So it's someone else's problem then?' asked Theodore.

Emily didn't like the way he said that. 'Our presence is no longer required if that is what you mean.'

'Good,' said Theodore, 'I didn't sign up to fight aliens.'

Before Emily could answer a dropship flew overhead, painted all black with no symbols on it. It touched down near the base, and its doors opened. Out of it walked men in state of the art firebat suits. Behind them were goliaths and finally, there came a man dressed in the outfit of a ghost. He was dark skinned with no hair on his head. The right side of his head was cybernetic, with a gleaming red eye. They approached Frontal Company and halted.

'Recon squad Cerberus reporting.' said the ghost. 'We're here to oversee the extermination of these xenomorphs and contain the spread of any hostile infestation on this colony.'

'There must be some mistake.' said Emily 'General Duke never informed me-'

'We have our own orders, Lieutenant.' said the Cerberus Commander, sounding annoyed. 'We don't answer to the standard chain of command.'

Emily understood that there were things which the Confederacy had to do in secret. It was an unfortunate truth of war. She nodded. 'I understand sir.'

'By order of Confederate High Command, I am hereby requisitioning the use of your company.' said the Cerberus Commander. 'You will follow my orders as though they were those of General Edmund Duke. Do you understand?'

High Command? This must be very important. Swallow saluted. 'Yes sir, we won't let you down sir!'

'Good,' said the Cerberus Commander, 'when the dropships arrive they will be redirected to the LZ. Any further information is on a strict need to know basis.'

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

This is what? The third time I've rewritten my Starcraft fic. Going back to Starcraft Precursor, I was personally dissatisfied with the story. It focused too much on numbers and not enough on people. The main character was not very compelling. There were far too many irrelevant subplots which didn't really come to anything.

Anyway this is my third, and hopefully final, rewrite.


	2. The Gauntlet

**Chapter Two: The Gauntlet**

 _I've talked to some of the people who saw what was going on. Collins was in deep. He was in the unfortunate position of knowing a great deal about something the Confederates wanted kept secret. And being just a little superfluous. And he knew it._

 _Maybe that was why he called Alpha Squadron. He probably hoped that if the secret got out Confederate black ops would think disappearing him too much effort._

 **-Liberty's report, volume I.**

* * *

It was a cold silence which engulfed the bridge. Collins responded to Duke's transmission. The Magistrate smiled nervously and took off his hat and wiped sweat from his brow. 'Greetings again General Duke-'

'Start talking Collins.' snapped Duke. 'I don't like being kept in the dark.'

'I know you're anxious for some answers about those creatures.' said Collins, putting his hat back on. 'Suffice to say they are the current subject of high-level research. We had quarantined a number of them for study, but then all contact with the Flannum Institute was lost.'

'I'm guessing that's why Cerberus Squadron is dragging my boys halfway across the damn planet.' muttered Duke. 'How long have these things been on Chau Sara?'

'Um… about three months weeks, but they weren't much of a problem until a week ago. I've been ordered to not speak about it.' said Collins. 'The militia has been occupied fighting them. The Sons of Korhal moved in behind our backs.'

'Fine, I'm dispatching my army now.' said Duke.

'What?' said Collins.

'Whatever these things are, they're causing a ruckus.' growled Duke 'I'm going to show them a proper Alpha Squadron greeting. Send me all the data you have on them within the hour.' He cut the channel. 'Ensign, begin scanning the surface for the highest concentrations of these xenomorphs. Once you've done that, we'll send our boys in to crush them.'

'Yes sir.' said the Ensign.

* * *

All her life, at least as far as she could remember, Emily had been waiting for a chance like this. For her entire time in Alpha Squadron, she had been working against rebel and militia groups. Now, at last, she was involved in a highly important mission, one so important even Duke didn't know of it. And to top it off she was facing off against an alien menace, one that needed to be stopped no matter the cost.

She approached the Cerberus Commander as her forces stood waiting. 'Sir, my forces have been unloaded and are waiting for your orders.' She paused 'Where are we going?'

'There is a Confederate Installation to the north of here. It has been compromised by xenomorphs. Our preliminary scans indicate that the area is crawling with hostiles.' said the Cerberus Commander 'My Cerberus unit will handle the situation inside. However, we will require Alpha Squadron's assistance getting there.

Any other information is on a strict need to know basis.'

'Understood sir.' said Emily.

'Our priority is to annihilate the xenomorph presence around the Flannum Installation.' continued the Cerberus Commander. 'Scans indicate that there is a small hive to the northwest over the river. The hive must be destroyed to safeguard our flank.'

'Um…' Emily halted.

'Yes?' asked the Cerberus Commander.

'Do you have a name or-'

'My identity is irrelevant to the outcome of the mission.' he almost snarled. 'Follow orders and stop asking questions.'

Emily returned to her forces, feeling ashamed and bitter. This wasn't at all how she had imagined top secret missions to go. Theodore seemed to share her view as they made their way toward the first part of their mission.

'Ma'am, what is going on?' asked Theodore. 'Who are these guys? How do they know so much about these things?'

'I don't know.' admitted Emily. 'But they have the trust of the Confederacy, and so we must trust them as well. I'm sure they have a very good reason for keeping all this a secret. If word of what was happening here got out, there might be panic and chaos.

We'll carry out our orders. The Confederacy knows what is best for the sector.'

'Yes, ma'am.' His tone held a note of sarcasm.

Emily let it pass. Then something occurred to her. 'Theodore, why did you join Alpha Squadron?'

'Most of the people in it are brain-panned.' said Theodore with a shrug. 'Which means there is a shortage of intelligent officers. I figured if I joined it, I'd be on the fast track to promotion. What about you?'

'Oh me?' asked Emily 'I um… I joined normally.'

'Ah,' said Theodore, 'so who were you before you… uh…'

'I was a murderer.' said Emily. 'I killed innocent young men for pleasure after luring them in with promises of sex. I was caught, neurally resocialized and put in Alpha Squadron. I survived with most of my intelligence intact, so I was assigned as an officer.'

'You don't sound very ashamed.' noted Theodore.

'That wasn't who I was.' said Emily 'I mean, I might have the same name as her, but that Emily Swallow died on the operating table. I don't have any of her memories or emotional associations. I'm glad she got caught, this way I can do some good to make up for the bad she did.'

'Right.' said Theodore, before looking at her seriously. 'Do you actually believe that?'

'Of course, I do.' said Emily, confused as to why he would ask. 'Why wouldn't I?'

The rest of the journey took a few hours. They crossed over a bridge and into a dusty flatland. As they crossed over, they halted. For there was the xenomorph hive. The ground beneath it was covered in what appeared to be pulsing violet flesh. The structures themselves were orange and made of an organic material. A series of large creatures were busy digging into a mineral mine which looked to be manmade.

'So that is what their hives look like.' noted Emily, interested despite herself. 'It doesn't look very heavily defended.'

'Don't be fooled, Lieutenant.' said the Cerberus Commander. 'These xenomorphs are capable of burrowing underground and emerging very suddenly. There are likely far more of them out there than you can see.'

'Understood sir.' said Emily.

'I leave tactical command to you.' the Cerberus Commander said.

'Front Company form up! I want a dense battle line!' said Emily 'We'll advance gradually and mow down anything which attacks us! Come on me, let's get these xenos! For the Confederacy!' As her men responded to her calls, she looked to the Cerberus Commander. 'Commander, I believe it would be best if your forces took a position on the right flank. While we deal with the brunt of the enemy force, you can take them from the side.'

'The plan is sound.' admitted the Commander.

It went off very well indeed. Frontal Company moved forward very carefully. Sure enough, the xenomorph arose from the ground and charged. As before, their charge was slaughtered by a hail of gauss fire. Yet there were always more of them. Cerberus Squadron moved from their position and tore into the xenomorphs right flank. Their flamethrowers burned them to ash. Their goliaths mowed down whole lines of the creatures.

Emily was quite confident that victory would be theirs.

Then many snakelike creatures with scythe arms and mandibles appeared. They came from beyond the cliffs and slithered forward. They launched spines from their bodies into the ranks of the attackers. Several marines fell dead before they could respond. Emily turned her gun and opened fire, hitting one of the snake things with a barrage. After a moment of flailing the creature fell dead.

'Theodore, have your forces redirect fire on the snake things!' said Emily.

They obeyed, and soon the two sides were trading fire. However, the doglike creatures were soon wiped out. Cerberus Squadron and Frontal Company redirected their fire on the snake things. After, that the firefight ended quickly.

The xenomorphs had been annihilated, yet their buildings remained.

'Alright troops, well done.' said Emily. 'I want explosives set on all these structures. Move quickly. Remember we're on a timetable. Theodore, keep your men in reserve and watch for any more of these things.'

She stopped suddenly and realized she had almost walked into a pool of pulsing flesh. It looked like a swamp, but it glowed faintly. Many tiny creatures could be seen swimming around it, and many eggs were lying at the base of it. 'Also set some explosives inside that pool. Better safe than sorry.'

Over the next few minutes, Frontal Company obeyed her commands. It took a little while, and while they were working there was no sign of any kind of attack. Even so, it was nerve-racking. Emily was afraid that they might come under assault while otherwise occupied.

'We're done here, ma'am.' said a soldier. 'Explosives set.'

'Great,' said Emily, 'everyone lets move! We need a minimum safe distance! Go, go, go!'

As one Frontal Company ran from the hive and halted a large distance away from the edge of the violet goo. Raising the detonator, Emily flipped the safety. For a moment she hesitated, making a last glance to make sure no one had been left behind. Then she pushed the button.

For a moment nothing happened. Then there was a terrific explosion, and then the hive was destroyed in great plumes of white fire. Alpha Squadron cheered, and some fired their guns up on the air. The violet goo began to recede in moments.

Still, Emily didn't feel very good about it. They had taken their first casualties here, and if it hadn't been for this mission, all would have survived. 'Theodore, how many did we lose?

'Twelve, ma'am.' said Theodore.

'I see. Give me their names once we're done here.' said Emily. 'I'll be sure to write letters to their families, reminding them of what their sons died for. It was for the greater good of the Confederacy, after all.'

'Yeah, yeah.'

'This area is purged.' said the Cerberus Commander, appearing from nowhere. 'With our flanks secure we may now proceed with the operation proper. We will advance north across the wasteland and into the highlands above the river. Once we've neared the installation, we'll begin the assault on the second hive cluster. Be on the lookout for any sign of the xenomorphs; it is highly likely they will oppose us at every turn.'

They weren't given any time to rest. Frontal Company made its way over the river and across the wastes. As they did, they encounter more than a few xenomorphs. At first, the attacks were sporadic, only a few at a time who were easily mowed down. Yet soon enough they began to get smart. They appeared from underground when Alpha Squadron drew near.

Emily saw a man torn to shreds by a surprise attack before the creature responsible could be mowed down. Two were shot in the back by flurries of spines from the snake creatures. No matter how many they killed, there were always more.

This situation continued for six hours as they traveled on foot across the deserts. By the time they crossed the bridge, Emily was becoming very concerned. Theodore shared her concern.

'These things,' said Theodore after a particularly nasty engagement, 'there is no end to them, Emily. They just keep on coming no matter how many we kill. We've already lost twelve men to their ambushes, and we'll lose more if we don't stop for a bit. The men are starting to get sloppy.'

'I'll see what I can do.' said Emily, making her way to the front to where the Cerberus Commander was waiting. 'Sir, can I have a word?'

'Lieutenant?' asked the Commander.

'My men are tired.' said Emily. 'We've been fighting non stop all day through the wastelands. We're in no shape for an assault. If we could have just a few hours rest-'

'Unacceptable, our priority is the evacuation of the scientists.' said the Commander in a harsh voice. 'Additional casualties due to fatigue are well within what is considered acceptable losses. Keep them moving.'

Emily opened her mouth to object, then closed it. 'Yes, sir.'

She went back to Theodore.

'Well?' he asked.

'This mission is of the utmost importance.' said Emily. 'Every moment we delay could mean the deaths of the civilians we're trying to rescue. We'll have to go on, Theodore.'

'Wonderful,' said Theodore, 'nice to know our lives are considered valuable. I always knew our glorious Confederacy cared. Why the hell can't they just dropship us down there?'

The journey continued, as did the hit and run attacks by the xenomorphs. Five more men were killed on the journey through the highlands. Finally, as twilight was falling over the wastes, they came to a pass leading downwards. Near the center of it, Emily could see the gates of the Flannum Installation.

Yet the Cerberus Commander wasn't looking at that. He tapped her on the shoulder and directed her gaze to atop the cliffs. Above them loomed a massive hive, far larger than the last one. It was crawling with xenomorphs of both kinds. Many strange sunken buildings were visible in front of the main hive.

'That is the xenomorphs' primary hive cluster in this region.' said the Commander. 'Removing it will allow us to evacuate the scientists without molestation. Lieutenant, begin your assault.'

'That hill will be difficult to scale.' said Emily. 'What are those sunken things?'

'They are designated sunken colonies, a xenomorph defensive structure.' said the Commander. 'They will kill some of your men, but you have sufficient numbers to overwhelm it. My Cerberus Unit will remain behind.'

Emily felt very reluctant to order such an attack. However, she knew she had to follow orders. 'Yes, sir.'

She turned to her men. 'Men of the Confederacy! That hill must be taken for our mission to be complete! What I am asking you to do will task your courage and resolve to its highest, not all of you may survive the coming battle! Yet if we die, it will be for the glory of the Confederacy!' Cheers came from the troops, with the exception of Theodore. He remained stonily silent.

Odd, usually soldiers were motivated at the prospect of dying for the Confederacy. Then again Theodore hadn't been programmed, so maybe he was eccentric.

'Advance, for humanity!' cried Emily.

And Frontal Company advanced. As they scaled up the hill, they were immediately beset by a host of xenomorphs. They threw themselves bodily at them to halt them. These were gunned down, yet no sooner had they stepped over them and a new threat appeared. Red tentacles surged out of the ground to attack them. A marine was torn to shreds by one right next to swallow, and blood spattered over her faceplate.

More xenomorphs came to attack them, and some of them got into melee before they could form up. A few marines were gunned down by friendly fire. Behind them, the xenomorphs tried to flank them. But Cerberus Squadron stopped them in their tracks. And then, thank god, they were at the top.

'Form up!' cried Emily to her soldiers and they obeyed.

Though the tentacles killed nearly a dozen in those moments. Still, they formed into a line, and their guns were set forward to open fire on their enemies. The sound of all their guns firing in unison was like music to Emily, and she fired as well. Beneath the barrage of impaler rounds the sunken colonies shriveled and died.

The defense had been broken!

'Advance!' cried Emily 'Advance to victory!'

Many more xenomorphs came from all around. Yet nothing in that battle compared to those nightmarish colonies. Yet now that they were past it Frontal Company fought with renewed vigor. Their enemies fell like wheat, their casualties hardly mattered. Line after line of the xenomorphs was annihilated as the violet goo continued to recede. At last, there was nothing left to stop them!

Charges were set to the primary hive clusters, and they burned with a very satisfying color white.

The battle took six hours. When it was over Emily stood over the destroyed remnants of the hive, feeling very bitter. Theodore came up to her, looking rather grim.

'How many dead?' she asked.

'Seventy-five, ma'am.' said Theodore. 'The bottleneck tore us apart, and the xenomorphs killed a lot of us as well. We're nearly at half strength.'

'It's barely been a day.' said Emily. 'It is like the Guild Wars all over again.' She had not participated in the Guild Wars. But she'd read about some of the battles and spoke to some of those who lived through it. She looked to the bloodstained battlefield, wondering if this was a sign of things to come.

'Ma'am, are you alright?' asked Theodore.

'I'm fine. Get the men together, tell them to post watches on all the cliffs and scour the area for any more xenomorphs.' said Emily 'I don't want anything interfering with the operation we sacrificed so much for.'

'Yes, ma'am.'

She made her way to the edge of the cliff and looked down upon the entrance to the Flannum Installation from above. The charred corpses of some xenomorphs were lying around it. A team of Cerberus Firebats was approaching. As they halted there before it, a communication came over an open channel from them. 'Sir, tac team has reached the installation. You watch things out here. We'll take care of things inside.'

Emily breathed out in relief. It was over. The scientists would be evacuated, and her men would return to the Norad II victorious. No one else needed to die. That was what she told herself anyway.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So I've been going through Rise of the Dominion and editing it. It isn't nearly as bad as some of my older fics. Which is good, because it means it is much easier to edit the damn thing.


	3. Extraction

**Chapter Three: Extraction**

 _Emily never entered the Flannum Installation, so I can't tell you much about what happened inside. It was fairly by the numbers, and she just held her position and waited for them to come out._

 _What was important was that it was right about this point that it began to dawn on Duke how totally out of his control the situation had become. With that in mind, he did the only decent thing a person could do in the situation. He went all out trying to crush the xenomorphs, as they were called at the time._

 _I think we all know how well that turned out._

 **-Liberty's report, Volume I.**

* * *

Time was pressing. Minutes were turning to hours. And here he was sitting around while his subordinates tried to get the scanners online. Some space debris had hit them, and they'd had to stop for emergency repairs. Duke had the feeling that something very important was about to happen. He wanted to have all his boys in place when it went down. He looked over to the ensign who looked to have just finished.

'What have ya got?' he asked.

'We've finished scanning the planet for life signs matching the xenomorphs energy signature.' The boy halted. 'You should probably see this for yourself.' He put the data on the screen.

Duke looked at the life signatures stretching out over the whole of Chau Sara. They numbered in the millions, and he could see dozens of hives across the planet. 'Mary, mother of God.'

'Sir, what are your orders?' asked the ensign.

Shaken from his stupor, Duke stood. He needed to act and he needed to act fast, there was no time to go further up the chain of command. 'I want a full deployment of all Alpha Squadron personnel to the cities and towns. Secure all strong points, meet up with the militia and coordinate. Then requisition me some goddamn transport ships from storage, get them to Chau Sara ASAP. We're gonna need them.'

'Sir, there is a large contingent of xenomorphs approaching Los Andares!' said another ensign.

Great, just what Duke needed. 'Get my personal siege tank ready. I'm going down there.'

'Are you sure?'

'I know what I'm doing.' muttered Duke, hoping he knew what he was doing.

* * *

Gui Montag had been a firebat in Omega Squadron during the Guild Wars. That had been a long time ago, and in the intervening decade, he'd done well for himself. These days he and his boys worked for Cerberus Squadron taking the missions no one else wanted. So here he was.

In front of them were the massive neo-steel doors of the Flannum Installation. They opened like a giant maw. On the cliffs above he could see Alpha Squadron Marines patrolling. They were hunting down the last remnants of the xenomorphs in this region.

Cerberus Commander Ethan looked to each of them in turn while clad in a firebat suit. 'We now have access to the Installations primary bio-scanners. We have ascertained that there are still a number of scientists alive inside.'

'What?!' said Collins over the com. 'But I'm the only one with the Installation's access codes! How did you override my security clearance?!'

'I told you before Magistrate,' said Ethan, 'we don't answer to you.' Then he cut the channel.

'Right,' said Montag, 'and what are we here for?'

'We are to enter the Installation and evacuate any remaining Confederate personnel.' said Ethan. 'Your marine suits have been equipped with schematics of the building to make the task easier.' He hit a button on a remote, and the Flannum Installation's doors opened. Beyond was a darkened hallway leading into the earth. 'Now let's move gentlemen, we're on a tight schedule.'

Ethan led them into the earth. Behind them, the light of day grew fainter and then disappeared entirely as the doors shut. Suddenly they were standing in total darkness.

Gui activated the lights in his firebat suit, which switched on to illuminate the path ahead of them. The others also followed suit, and they pressed on. 'Looks like the lighting system has failed, eh Commander?'

'The lack of illumination will make our job difficult.' said the Ethan. 'Keep your eyes peeled for hostiles.'

As they pressed on, Gui saw no sign of any passages leading away from the main corridor. It was a straight line leading deeper and deeper into the planet's crust. He heard a whooping sound and got on edge. His fingers tightened around the controls for his firebat suit.

They came to a spinning fan in the wall, protected by a grating. Beyond it was an air passage. Gui laughed despite himself. 'Just some vents.'

'The air for the facility has to get in somehow.' said Ethan.

'What I want to know is how these critters got in.' said Gui. 'The doors were fine.'

Then they came to an area where the fans had been forced out, and blood was all over the broken remnants. The grating had been clawed apart. Ethan looked over it, and Gui got a bad feeling about this.

'Oh I get it, they must have dug down the air vents, then forced their way in.' said Gui.

'Watch your backs,' said Ethan, 'this place must be crawling with xenomorphs.'

'What's our first move, Ethan?' asked Gui.

Ethan turned and glared at him. 'I told you not to address me by name.'

'Sorry,' said Gui, 'where are we going first?'

'There should be a guard room in a passage a little further on.' said Ethan. 'It has cameras trained on every part of this facility. Using it, we should be able to learn the scientist's location.'

'Got ya.'

As they pressed onwards, they saw something orange moving in the dark. There was an chattering, and then xenomorphs rushed out of the darkness towards them. The team of firebats formed ranks and put forth their flamethrowers.

'Need a light?' asked Gui as they approached.

They pulled the trigger. There was a roar of flame, and the xenomorphs who came on recoiled, their flesh being consumed in flame. Before long there were several dozen charred corpses in front of them. They walked on without further ado and finally came to a door.

Here Ethan pressed a few buttons. The door slid open, and they entered into a room filled with monitors. each one showed a camera's view of a section of the facility.

'Search for any survivors.' said Ethan. 'And be careful not to break any equipment.'

Gui scanned over the video feeds while the others did the same. It took a few minutes, but eventually, his eyes locked on a computer. It showed an image of a series of white-clad civilians, cowering in a room. From the looks of things, it was on lockdown. Through the windows on the doors, he could see xenomorphs milling around outside.

'Sir, we've located the scientists.' he said. 'They're located in section… 0369 on level 2.'

'Well done, gentlemen.' said Ethan. 'Follow me. We'll check any side passages for other survivors. Our priority is to rescue as many of the personnel stationed here are returned to safety. Keep an eye on your six.'

They made their way along the corridors, scanning for any signs of hostiles. Occasionally Gui thought he saw something move out of the corner of his eye, but his suit showed no life signs. And when he looked, it was always gone. This place gave him the creeps, more than most hostile territory.

Eventually, they came to a door branching off. Gui checked the panel.

'The doors locked, sir.' he said.

Then he peered through the window. Beyond he saw many lights in the darkness. After shielding his eyes, he saw a great many men clad in blue marine suits waiting around.

'Hey, they must be the rescue unit.' said a voice. 'Open the door!'

One of them hit the switch on the other side, and it slid down open. The sergeant in charge of the group came forward, raising his gun to the ceiling. 'Boy are we glad to see you, boys. Let's get out of here.'

'Not yet.' said Ethan. 'By the authority vested in me by Confederate High Command, I am taking command here. We will need your assistance to evac the rest of the scientists.

'Are you nuts?' said a soldier. 'Those things can tear a man in half; we gotta come back with reinforcements!

Ethan turned to regard the man with a glare which had him quaking in moments. 'We are the reinforcements. Follow orders or face a court-martial. It is your decision.'

The Sergeant looked to his men. '…Alright, you heard him, boys. We're going deeper in.'

'Do you know where we can find anyone else?' asked Gui.

'Word was that Captain Morrigan was holed up with a bunch of his boys further south.' said the Sergeant. 'Course, we're scattered all over the- JESUS!'

There was an ungodly screeching noise. Gui turned to see an onslaught of zerg approaching them. Raising his flamethrower, he unleashed a torrent of flame into their midsts. The marines opened fire en masse.

One of Gui's men was bowled over, and torn to shreds before he could move. Impaler rounds shredded the creature in question. Then spines shot into a marine. His body spasmed long after the light had fallen from his eyes.

For a few terrifying moment, the swarm rushed against them. Gui scorched everything in sight. Then, just as he thought for sure they would be overrun, the tide slackened, and they had a breather.

'Stil, want to go into the darkness, sir?' asked the Sergeant.

'Our mission remains unchanged.' said Ethan. 'Let's move.'

They made their way through the halls and down an escalator which had stopped moving. Soon they came into a wide open space where they were all able to walk as much as ten abreast. It didn't make Gui feel any better; he felt as though the xenomorphs would come at him from any direction now.

He missed the hallway.

Soon enough, however, they were back in the hallways. Finding a branching path, the Cerberus Commander opened the door and made his way forward. They came out into a room and there, standing alone in the middle of it was a single marine. He let out a shriek of fright and raised his gauss rifle before he realized they weren't xenomorphs.

'Heh, room secure sir.' he said.

'Fall in, private.' said the Sergeant.

They backtracked and continued along the same path. As they walked, Gui looked to the sergeant. 'You got a name?'

'Malcov,' the Sergeant said, 'Jason Malcov. You?'

'Gui Montag,' said Gui, 'hey is there a reason this place is all one hallway?'

'Makes it easier to defend I guess.' said Jason. 'It's a little hard to sneak around when there is only way in or out with a bunch of dead ends around.'

'Ah, right,' said Gui.

Soon they came to a door, and Ethan put one hand over the control.

'Wait a minute.' said Malcov. 'Don't move; I heard the security system was all out of whack over the radio before… well… whoever it was got killed.'

'We need to move through here.' said Gui. 'Are you sure it's active?'

'Pretty sure yeah.' said Malcov.

'Montag,' said Ethan, 'you will take point with your men and draw its fire. Malcov, as soon as the machine gun canons appear you will destroy them. Do you understand?'

'Yes sir.' said Malcov.

'Got it,' said Gui.

The Cerberus Commander opened the door, and Gui and his men rushed into the room. The machinegun canons arose and opened fire. Their rounds struck against their firebat armor. The marines turned one of them into shrap metal within, and instant, and Gui and his own boys melted the other to slag.

'That's some hella good armor you got there.' said Malcov.

'Prototype model,' said Gui. 'only afforded to elite troopers.'

'Nice,' said Malcov, as he came out to look at what remained of the turrets. 'Goddamn, I hate these auto defenses. They never actually stop the bad guys when they work, and half the time they work in the bad guy's favor.'

'Keep moving.' hissed Ethan.

Soon the passage led onto a raised platform, and into a series of hallways, big surprise there. As they did, they came across another team of marines standing in the hallway. In front of them were the corpses of many xenomorphs, and some terrans as well.

'Nice timing boys, glad to have your help.' said the soldier. 'Now let's get out of here.'

'No,' said Ethan, 'our orders are to head deeper into the facility and evacuate any remaining scientists.'

'But these things are even thicker down there then they are here!' said the man. 'We'll be torn to shreds for sure.'

'We have orders.' said Ethan.

'Alright, alright already,' said the soldier. 'Malcov, you get drafted into this too?'

'You know it, Morrigan.' said Malcov.

'Is there anyone else safe out here?' asked Gui.

'Not that I know of.' said Morrigan. 'Still, you could check the communications console. If somebody has gotten to one of them, they might be calling for help. I haven't had time to, what with the xenomorphs and all.'

'Lead me to it.' said Ethan.

They went through the halls and into another side passage until they came to a console. The Cerberus Commander checked it, pressing a number of buttons.

'Mayday, mayday, we're trapped by the zerg! If you can reach us, please help!'

'Those coordinates are well past the scientists.' said Gui.

'We will respond.' said Ethan.

The rest of the halls passed them by in a blur. They went deeper and deeper into the facility with no end in sight. Eventually, they passed into what appeared to be a control room, and they saw a door. Through the window, they could see the scientists. However, Ethan paid them no heed and made his way to a door further down.

Opening it, they passed through.

As soon as they did, they were assaulted by the xenomorphs. The sound of gauss fire echoed throughout the facility for a few moments. Impaler rounds tore into the dozens of the creatures that came at them. Dozens more came behind, and these too were annihilated. Yet they came in such numbers that soon some of them had reached the front line.

Gui and his boys held them at bay, spraying them with fire. Dozens more died, and then no more came to attack them. Gui smiled. 'I love the smell of toasted xenomorphs. Smells like victory.'

The Cerberus Commander led them on without a word and around the corner. Coming to a door, he unlocked it, and they passed through to find a group of marines waiting.

'You guys got here just in time.' said their leader. 'Lead on; we're with ya.'

They returned to the room from before. The Cerberus Commander posted them outside the door. Then he approached the controls and typed in the override.

'Wait, don't open the doors yet!' cried a scientist.

The doors opened, and as one the civilians fled towards them. Out of a third door came a group of zerglings. There was a terrible scrambling moment as they let the civilians pass and then they opened fire. The zerglings were annihilated in moments.

'Who is in command?' asked the Cerberus Commander.

'I'm the chief researcher if that's what ya mean sir.' said the scientist.

'What is your name and identification?'

'Richard Cox sir,' he said 'I'm a scientist working on…' He eyed the marines. 'a lot of stuff I'm not allowed to talk about. I can't really repeat it, clearance and all. Are you the rescue unit?'

'In the living, breathing flesh.' said Gui.

'Cerberus Squad will take point. Half the security personnel will advance behind them.' said the Cerberus Commander 'The scientist come next, and the rest will act as a rear guard. There will be no further fatalities here today if it can be helped.'

'Yes sir.' said Gui.

* * *

Emily Swallow waited by the entrance of the Flannum Installation. Some of her company stood with her, securing the entrance. At several points, the xenomorphs had attempted to retake the area. But these attempts had been defeated, and now the only question was if the mission had been a success. She hated waiting like this, powerless to affect the outcome.

Her gaze turned to the new arrival. He was a tall, dark-skinned man clad in a commandos uniform. He had an easy going gaze, and a stubble, and on his head a red beret cap. In his hands was canister rifle. He had come here without guards and had been very unclear as to what his role in all this was.

She wondered if anyone needed her help, but it wasn't her place to go in after them.

The Flannum Installation's doors opened. Out of it streamed the Cerberus Commander, followed by more than a hundred marines. With them were dozens of scientists. Most of the rescue unit was alive too. They had saved them. It was times like this that Emily was proud to be a part of the Confederacy.

The new arrival approached the Cerberus Commander. 'Good morning Commander,' he said, tilting his head politely, 'I am Samir Duran of the Confederate High Command. I'm here on behalf of the Old Families to take custody of the scientists and transport them back to Tarsonis.'

'What about us?' asked one of the marines.

Duran turned to them with a polite smile. 'Ah yes, your transport off planet may be somewhat delayed. For now, this is Lieutenant Emily Swallow of Alpha Squadron. She will be your commanding officer from this point forward.'

'Sir, we're security personnel, not shock troops.' said the man.

'I respectfully ask for your full cooperation.' said Duran in a good-humored voice.

'Hello,' said Emily stepping forward, 'I realize that this may be rather sudden. However we've taken some serious casualties recently, and we need your help. The Confederacy needs good men like you to fill out the ranks. Follow orders and keep your heads up, and we'll gain victory for the Confederacy of Man.'

'We've heard that before.' muttered one of them.

Well, this was extremely awkward. There was a long silence, and her smile became nervous. She had no idea how to deal with people who weren't programmed like her, honestly. Why didn't the Confederacy do it more often?

Her communicator chimed to life. 'Lieutenant Swallow, this is Duke. You are to take your company and immediately report to Los Andares for combat duty. Am I understood?'

Finally, a life or death situation to distract them from this awkward silence! 'Well, one of the good things about being in Alpha Squadron is that there is never a dull moment.' she said cheerily. 'We're first in and first out. We'll see you equipped with ammunition and then we need to reinforce General Duke.'

'Yes ma'am.' muttered one of them.

'I can't hear you.' said Emily with narrowed eyes.

'Yes ma'am!' They all replied.

A member of the rescue unit approached the Cerberus Commander. 'Sir, with your permission I'd like to join Alpha Squadron in the battle.'

'I'm afraid that isn't possible, soldier.' said Duran quickly. 'Cerberus Squadron has completed its mission. You and your men are being withdrawn from the planet. Your commander will remain behind. You will act as a tactical advisor to the military forces of Alpha Squadron.

'Am I understood?'

'Yes sir.' said Gui.

Curiosity arose in Emily's mind and she approached Duran. The man observed as he scientists were loaded onto the dropship. He glanced up as she approached. 'Mr. Duran, sir, may I ask you a question?'

'My technical rank is Lieutenant.' said Duran. 'And you may.'

'Sir, what was all this about?' asked Emily.

Duran looked at Emily with a gaze which asked her if she really wanted to know the answer to that question. Emily did of course, but if they didn't feel she should know she would accept it.

'Control, Lieutenant Swallow.' he said. 'Control and a few other things. That's all you need to know, for now, anything further might emotionally compromise you. Good day.'

It was only once he'd left that Emily realized she'd never told him her name.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Samir Duran's appearance in this fanfic is one of the things I think I got right when I was writing the original fic. So I kept it the same here. Everything else in this chapter though was completely different from the original story. I tried to give this chapter a more personal feeling than the previous fic did.

In fact, one of my primary goals in all this is to give the characters more of a personalized feel. Emily Swallow replaced the Nameless Lieutenant because she had more personality. Thus she makes for a more compelling protagonist.


	4. Force of Arms

**Chapter Four: Force of Arms**

 _I've talked to some people who were at Los Andares. It wasn't pretty. Since the xenomorphs were a state secret, people got caught completely unprepared. One minute they were going about their daily business. They lied, and cheating, and helped others as they wanted. The next thousands of xenomorphs came out of nowhere and started killing people._

 _I'll give Duke credit where it's due if he hadn't shown up Los Andares would have been dust. It's just a shame that Emily was always the one sent in first in every deadly assault._

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

Los Andares was burning that morning when Emily arrived. Bodies littered the streets, and the people were too busy trying to put out the flames to tend to them just yet. Distantly the sound of a siege tank being fired could be heard, as well as the sound of vulture shots.

'Los Andares…' said Theodore, 'this place is wrecked. What happened?'

Emily had been briefed on the way. 'The xenomorphs launched an assault here while we were occupied. Fortunately, a heroic action by General Edmund Duke halted the creatures.' Best to keep things upbeat. 'Now we're being dispatched to help take the fight to them!'

'Ma'am, you sound like a propaganda video.' said Theodore.

'Propaganda what?' asked Emily, quite confused.

'You know, those uh… fancy and colorful things which show soldiers smiling and posing. Usually above the corpses of many enemies and talk about the glories of war?' asked Theodore.

'Oh you mean the information videos.' said Emily.

'…You don't really think all that stuff is real do you?' asked Theodore.

'Someday I'd love to be one of those marines.' said Emily with a wistful sigh.

'I'm just gonna drop the subject now.' said Theodore.

Behind, them Alpha Squadron marines marched. The conscripts trailed behind muttering to themselves about being overworked and underpaid. Emily could see why the Confederacy gave so many criminals second chances.

She approached one of the militiamen standing guard. 'Excuse me,' she said, 'my division is looking for General Duke.'

The militiaman did not answer.

'Can you hear me?' asked Emily.

He shook visibly and looked up. 'What?'

'Where can we find General Duke?' repeated Emily.

'He…' the militiaman, 'after the xenomorphs arrived he saved us. So many people got killed, but everyone would have died if he hadn't arrived just then. He's taken a position by the bridge he's… he's holding them off for now.

'We're supposed to stand by and wait for evacuation.'

'Understood,' said Emily, 'keep up the good work soldier.'

They found General Duke waiting at a table eating breakfast from a metal tray. Behind him, his personal tank was waiting with its gun pointed towards the end of a bridge. Some vultures were waiting around in front of it. A number of other siege tanks were visible, on standby, and the bridge was riddled with xenomorph corpses.

Emily saluted. 'General Duke sir, Lieutenant Emily Swallow and Frontal Company reporting for duty. Command us.'

'Bout time you showed up.' said Duke. 'We've blocked up the main entryway into the city, and secured the area. But the xenomorphs have some extensive hive clusters to the north of us. You are to take your company and escort that team of siege tanks within range of the colony.' Duke pointed with one hand. 'Once you've done that, you'll protect the tanks until they finish blasting the hives to bits.

'I don't want any charges, y'hear. Minimal casualties, we'll need every man before the end of this.'

'Is it that serious?' asked Emily.

'We've got a dozen offensives going across the planet right now.' said Duke. 'We're beating these critters, but if we have a serious slip up it could cause some real trouble down the road.'

'We won't let you down sir.' said Emily.

'Just go.' drawled Duke.

* * *

Within a few minutes, the company was moving along the bridge towards the lands beyond. As they reached the other side a force of snake things appeared and rushed at them, firing into their ranks. Alpha Squadron's response was well practiced, and most of them were mowed down in an instant. Those that remained were blasted by the tanks into pools of blood.

They found still more bodies here, and the remnants of a town now abandoned. Broken down vehicles could be seen here and there, and many corpses. ASomexenomorphs rushed out of the buildings and were mowed down.

'This is horrible.' said Theodore.

'Some of them might have made it to Los Andares.' said Emily hopefully.

'You mean before the xenomorphs hit Los Andares?' asked Theodore.

They came to the next bridge and here took up defensive positions. Across the river, they saw a heavy series of sunken colonies, guarded by hydralisks. In the distance beyond they could see the xenomorph hive pulsing with energy. The ground itself seemed alive with xenomorphs. Emily looked to her troops. 'Alright, Malcov form a screen of your infantry across the bridge. Siege tank officer-'

'Sergeant Storm, ma'am!'

'Take up a position behind the infantry and shell those structures to bits.' said Emily.

The sound of siege tanks firing was always a disorienting experience. Even through the sound mufflers in their helmets, it sent their ears ringing. The sight of two sections of a sunken colony being blown clean off, however, was well worth it.

Yet the response was instant. The xenomorphs rushed them across the bridge and soon they were opening fire en masse to halt them. The creatures died in droves, but they kept on coming, while the siege tanks kept on firing at the defenses. Hours passed as the assault continue. The siege tanks steadily reduced the fortifications. At several points, Emily had to rotate out troops on the front line. Best to not let people get tired.

'Don't these things ever quit?!' asked Theodore.

'Doesn't look like it.' mused Malcov. 'I swear if you could eat these things there could be one hell of a barbeque for a victory feast!'

'Can you eat them?' asked Morrigan curiously.

'Cut the chatter you men, and keep your attention on the xenomorphs.' said Emily.

Finally, at the beginning of the fifth hour, the sunken colonies were destroyed. Emily moved forward and opened a transmission to her men. 'The sunken colonies are down, men. Tank crews, advance your vehicles within range of the next target. We'll cover you.'

They had not gone far before great bulging floating things flew into sight over the hive. Their stomachs opened up, and out of them poured many more xenomorphs. These charged at them slathering with fury.

'More coming, ma'am.' said Theodore in a dead tone.

'Form up men!' cried Emily. 'Weapons free, Frontal Company!'

The battle was long, tiring, and a repeat of what had come before. The key difference was that they had to spread out further, and didn't have the advantage of a choke point. Thus the xenomorphs were not facing as serious a shower of fire. Several snake things got off shots into their ranks. Some of the dog things reached the front ranks and killed several men before they were gunned down.

The tanks took their positions and fired their guns at the defensive structures of the hive. Hours passed as they little by little advanced across the flat. When they ran out of targets, they turned their tanks mobile and inched forward. Then they would take up siege mode in front of another set of structures. All the while xenomorphs came in the floating bulbous creatures to attack them.

'They must be calling in reinforcements from surrounding hive clusters.' mused Emily. 'Keep it up men, our victory here is exhausting the xenomorphs!'

So it continued, hour after hour, minute after minute. The sensation of xenomorph corpses crunching beneath their feet became a common one. But it was all worth it. The hive defensive structures were annihilated and their reinforcements fell short.

They were out of explosives of course. So they had to rely on shelling the hives while helping them along with their gauss rifles. Incindiary rounds were a wonderful thing. The monotony of it was terrible. Emily was afraid that a new force of xenomorphs would arrive at any moment and take them off guard. Yet none did, and finally, the last hive building fell.

'How many Theodore?' she asked, as she always did.

'Eleven ma'am, we didn't have all that many casualties this time.' said Theodore. 'Not compared to yesterday anyway.'

'Good, I'm going to call in our success.' said Emily, before opening a communication. 'General Duke sir, this is Swallow. We've annihilated the hive.

'Good,' said Duke, 'now take your boys and advance to the east. There is another hive we've just detected there. I want it burned so Los Andares can have a bit of breathing room.'

Emily looked to her troops. They were exhausted and in poor spirits. Morrigan's men were mourning their losses, and speaking amongst themselves. Even her own neurally resocialized troops looked ready to go home. They were on the verge of breaking, she'd seen it before. Mental programming could only do so much. 'Sir, with all due respect my men have been fighting nonstop for days.' said Emily. 'Isn't there anyone who could relieve us.'

'Of course not! We're engaged all over the damn planet just holding this place together!' snapped Duke. 'New Wark has come under heavy assault, and we're having to evacuate it. It's gonna take the other squadrons to take back Chau Sara, mark my words. Now quit yer whining and get to work.'

'Yes sir, I'll tell the men.' said Emily.

'More orders to attack?' guessed Theodore.

'It is for the greater good.' said Emily.

'This is ridiculous ma'am. We've been first in every assault for the whom flipping war so far!' said Theodore.

'It's because of their faith in our abilities.' said Emily, trying to believe it.

'It's because they don't want us to survive.' snapped Theodore. 'We know too much. The men are tired, hungry, and irritable. We've already been through more assaults this week than most soldiers see in a lifetime! We can't keep this up!'

'We have orders! And we will carry them out!' snapped Emily.

'We've been carrying them out too long!' snapped one of Malcov's unit. 'Let's see General Duke get his hands dirty in this mess, see how he likes it!'

'You are out of line, private.' said Emily.

'Why the hell shouldn't I be out of line, half my friends are dead from these damn critters already!' he roared. 'And now I'm supposed to lose the other half!' Others joined their voices in his.

There was an audible click. It resounded throughout the wasteland, and the man flinched. He took a step back, for Emily had raised her gauss rifle. 'I do not want to kill you. But if you insist on stirring dissent, I will be forced to take drastic action.'

'I… I didn't mean it, ma'am,' he said, voice afraid. 'I was just venting y'know.'

'I know. It isn't right that we should have to do this, but its how the world works.' said Emily, raising her gun. 'Someone has to. Carry out your orders, all of you.'

They obeyed. They didn't like it but they obeyed. As before they took positions in front of the xenomorph defenses and let the tanks do their work. A constant stream of xenomorphs arrived to try and dislodge them. Several times they were pressed to the limit trying to hold their position. She saw men be torn down by zerglings when they strayed out of line. Others were shot dead by hydralisk spines. Yet it all seemed a blur to Emily. She was commanding, but it was all reflex and instinct.

She had threatened one of her own soldiers. It had been a mark of pride for her that she had never done that before. Now it was gone. No, it had been necessary, his words might have led to mutiny. Nothing was more important than this offensive continuing. Nothing!

She gave the order to advance when the sunken colonies had been annihilated. Then the process began again. So it continued until the sun was setting over the surface of Chau Sara. The creep was receding beneath their feet. The hives had been annihilated.

'How many dead?' asked Emily, voice hollow.

'Fourteen,' said Theodore, 'Morrigan is one of them.'

'…Damn.' It didn't matter that her losses paled compared to the previous day. Fourteen more of her men would never return home alive. She raised a transmission. 'General Duke sir, mission complete.'

For a moment there was a garbled message and Emily didn't make it out. 'Say again, General. I do not read.'

'I said return to base.' said Duke. 'We've got more orders for you coming up.'

'Understood sir.' said Emily.

More orders. More assaults to make. More deaths, and with them more letters to grieving loved ones. Loved ones who would never see their sons and daughters again. And unlike before, most of her soldiers didn't want to be here. They hadn't signed up for this.

And she would have to lead them into it anyway.

When would this end?

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

By now you've realized I am not chronicling every event in the campaign. For instance, Magistrate Collins conflict with the Cerberus Commander is largely cut. The beginning sequence in the Force of Arms mission happens offscreen. And Emily isn't the Lieutenant that does it.

I did this because I feel ridged adherence to the mission was one of the flaws in the original story. It detracted from the narrative and made it more difficult to focus on the characters. Also, the Lieutenant cannot be everywhere at once. This way there is a sense that things are happening outside of Swallow's jurisdiction.


	5. To the Last Man

**Chapter Five: To the Last Man**

 _Samir Duran. There is a name that was seldom remembered or spoken of back then. He was known mostly as an aid to Arturro Calabas of the Old Families. He was an errand boy who took care of unpleasant business he wasn't willing to talk about. People who were more in the know viewed him as an influential and dangerous agent of the Confederacy. A man who was dead set in advancing the Old Families secret projects._

 _Whether you were in the know or not though, it didn't change the facts. We had no idea who we were dealing with._

 **-Liberty's report, volume I.**

* * *

Duke looked at Duran incredulously on the computer screen. Duran remained silent and affable as always. The combination which made Duke hate him more than usual. Duke didn't like many people, and the news only made it worse.

'What do you mean the other squadrons aren't coming?' the General said.

'Just what I said, General.' said Duran. 'The Old Families appreciate your fervor, but the situation has changed. With the exception of the personnel of the Flannum Institute, Chau Sara is expendable. Certainly, it is not worth risking the full might of our fleets to protect it.

'Your decision to engage the xenomorphs, while admirable, was perhaps not entirely wise.

'You are to withdraw at the first opportunity.'

This was so typical of the High Command. A hostile force launched a full-blown assault upon Confederate holdings. And Duke was supposed to just let it walk in and take it. As of that in itself wouldn't be difficult.

'I've got a whole damn fleet fighting here!' snapped Duke. 'I can't just pull out! I'd lose half my forces!'

'Yes, I expected you might have such difficulties.' mused Duran. 'Fortunately, our scientists have provided us with a wealth of information. These creatures operate by a primitive hive mind. This hive mind relays instructions to them through a set of primary hive clusters. Were you to destroy those clusters; it is likely that the xenomorphs would lose cohesion. Long enough for an evacuation to be made, at least.

'I'm relaying the coordinates to you now.'

Duke looked at the coordinates and muttered some curses under his breath. 'All right then, I'll plan an operation.'

'I took the liberty of having my subordinates do it for you.' said Duran.

Duke turned off the view screen in disgust. He wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of hearing his response. He looked around at his bridge. Everyone was scurrying around relaying orders and arranging for assaults. Over them all was a screen showing Alpha Squadron's progress. The battle was going well.

With proper support and a few months, Duke could have waxed these critters. Now they were going to get the whole planet. 'I hate that man.' he said after a moment. 'Speed up plans for evac and tell Collins to ready his colonists for relocation, we ain't got all day!'

* * *

The Cerberus Commander, Ethan Morris watched Emily Swallow enter the room. He reflected that she had performed her duties admirably thus far. High Command would want as few people as possible to know about the xenomorphs. But at this point, it seemed likely that the secret would get out.

Whatever the case, Swallow deserved at least an update on her progress. 'The scientists have been evacuated to our main stronghold on Tarsonis.' he said. 'They feel confident that their findings will allow us to defeat the xenomorph threat.'

'I'm glad.' said Emily.

At that moment the door opened, and Magistrate Collins entered the room. He clapped Emily on the back heartily. 'Well done, Lieutenant!' he said. 'I wish there were more Confederate Officers that had your tenacity and spirit.' Emily blushed with pride, and Collins became grim. 'But right now we need to plan a tight defense. I've consulted with my top advisors, and I believe that if we can establish a perimeter, we can-'

'There is no time for that, Magistrate.' Ethan cut. 'Our intelligence reports that the time to strike the xenomorphs primary hive clusters is now. Lieutenant, you will command the assault against the southmost hives. The wraith flights will deal with the western reaches.'

'By whose authority?!' said Collins. 'I am still Magistrate of this Colony, and I will-'

'By order of the Colonial Crisis act under sub-section 1602, I hereby supersede your authority in this matter.' said Ethan, before looking to Swallow. 'Lieutenant, you may commence with the operation!'

'Yes sir.' said Emily, saluting smartly.

This entire mess had been one big headache. Ethan needed a drink. Maybe two.

* * *

Emily made her way in front of her soldiers, who were waiting for her to speak. She wanted to tell them that it was time to go home. She wanted to tell them that they were being put in the rear lines, while fresh units picked up where they left off. She wanted to tell them a lot of things.

But those things would be a lie.

'Men,' she said, 'we have received orders to launch an assault on a xenomorph colony to the south of here.' An uproar of angry voices broke out, drowning out her speech.

'To hell with that!'

'We didn't sign up for this?!'

'Let them find someone else, damn it!'

Even her own Alpha Squadron Marines looked unsteady. For they had been fighting nonstop for days. 'Listen to me!' cried Emily. 'This colony is in a crisis. The xenomorphs are encroaching on us from every side. Every other unit in Alpha Squadron is fighting just as hard as us. We all need to keep going until our job is done.'

'Ma'am, when will this job be done?' asked Malcov. 'When we're all dead?'

Cries of support came in on his side.

'All of you quiet down.' said Theodore. 'If we back out now, the Confederacy will have us all court-martialed. Let's get the job done, and hope for the best.'

Their loyalty hung by a thread, but Theodore's words had done it. Emily knew that any more strain on them might make that thread snap. 'All right people, let's move out.'

They made their way south past a line of bunkers and over a bridge. They paused for a moment as gauss rifle fire broke out from the bunkers. An onslaught of zerglings and hydralisks {according to recent data logs that was what they were called.} came across the bridge. They died in droves. Missile turrets which lined the shore fired their payloads into swarms of mutalisks {flying zerg} that tried to break the defense.

The onslaught continued for about thirty minutes. Finally, it slowed to a halt, and they were able to pick their way across the corpses of an army of xenomorphs.

'Damn these critters like to die.' muttered a marine.

A contingent of wraiths flew over the river within sight. They flew towards an abandoned city in the distance. The city loomed with many dead skyscrapers reaching into the sky. The mutalisks swarmed round to meet the wraith. A barrage of missiles annihilated many of the creatures in moments, but more came behind them. Soon a massive dogfight was occurring before their eyes.

'What's the deal with them?' asked Malcov.

'There is another hive that way.' said Emily. 'The space force is dealing with it.'

'Nice to know we're not the only people working.' muttered Theodore.

They made their way onwards and soon came within sight of an abandoned settlement. Empty buildings were here and there, and a television could be seen still on, showing static. People had been forced to leave in a hurry. This was one of many which had been evacuated during the chaos in the face of the xenomorph onslaught. Anyone who hadn't fled was almost certainly dead , nd just beyond it, he or she saw the hive. It pulsed with energy as xenomorphs milled around it, like a great swarm of ants.

'There it is.' said Theodore, turning off his safety. 'Doesn't look too difficult.'

'Front Company advance!' said Emily. 'Let's do this by the book people! We'll take a defensive position just outside. Then blast the xenomorphs with siege tanks from afar!'

Everything worked like clockwork. The men had become well practiced as they formed their formations. With the tanks taking siege mode behind them. Like clockwork, the tanks opened fire. Like clockwork the xenomorph structures and like clockwork, the xenomorphs charged. Also, like clockwork, they all died horribly.

Then something happened.

'Lieutenant, we've got xenomorphs coming from the north!' said Theodore. 'They're flanking us!'

She'd gotten complacent. 'Theodore, take half the men and stop them.' said Emily. 'We'll hold here.'

The army split into two, firing at enemies coming from two different directions. Surrounded, their concentration of fire weakened. It wasn't long before some of the zerg reached their lines and attacked. Emily drew out a bayonet and impaled a zergling as it came at her, before mowing down two more with her gauss rifle. A man near her was dragged down and torn to pieces. Emily shot the zergling responsible and felt a spine bounce off her shoulder pad.

The screams of men and monster could be heard. For a few chaotic minutes, the fighting continued and then it ended. The xenomorphs were all destroyed, and the hive followed suit. Yet at a terrible cost.

As Theodore did a head count, Emily made contact with the Cerberus Commander. 'This is Swallow, we've neutralized the first hive cluster. But we've taken heavy casualties. My men are on the verge of mutiny. I respectfully request that my unit be reassigned to a rear line.'

 _'Negative Lieutenant.'_ said the Cerberus Commander. _'Momentum and speed are critical to our operations. Press the attack.'_

Emily opened her mouth but didn't trust herself to speak. Was he insane? If this went on ,they could all die. 'In that case sir, we need reinforcements to continue the assault.'

 _'Acknowledged Lieutenant, reinforcements are inbound.'_ said the Cerberus Commander. _'Keep up the offensive, our mission is nearly complete.'_

The channel cut out.

'Before you ask, we lost seventy-five men. Six of us won't live long enough to reach medical treatment.' snapped Theodore.

Emily couldn't answer for a long time. As she spoke, she had to choke back a sob. 'Men-

'Don't say it.' said Malcov. 'We're not going. And if you want to shoot us, you'll have a fight on your hands.'

'The Confederacy-' began Emily.

'The Confederacy wants us dead!' snapped Malcov. 'We've seen inside one of their facilities, and they don't want us telling anyone about what we know. We know too much, and you know too much! I say we hijack some dropships and get out of here while the getting is good.

'I took notes on their location. If we head back now, we could probably hijack some of them and get the hell out of here.'

Shouts of agreement came from the men, and Emily looked at the soldiers around her. 'Don't you have any sense of loyalty?'

'Of course not!' snapped Malcov. 'I do what I do for a paycheck and a retirement package! And you would too if you hadn't been brain panned. You're just a machine to them, and we're just cattle, girly.'

'Theodore?' she asked.

'…They're right, Emily.' said Theodore. 'The Cerberus Commander, whatever the hell his name is, he wants us dead. It's the only explanation for why he is sending us first into every major battle on this planet. It's about self-preservation now. I don't want an early grave, and even if we survive this ,they'll probably just send ghosts to kill us directly later.

'We should take the ships.'

'And what happens to the people those ships were supposed to transport?!' said Emily. 'Would you listen to yourselves! You're talking as if you are the center of the universe! This isn't just about the Confederacy and it's not about you! It's bigger than both of those things!'

'How is it bigger?' asked Theodore.

'What about the colonists of Chau Sara?' asked Emily 'They need to be evacuated too. What do you think will happen if we abandon the job half finished? The evacuation will fail.

'Who do you think will be left behind?'

'If loyalty to the Confederacy means nothing to you, then please at least have some loyalty to its people! This is the last mission! When we are finished, Alpha Squadron is pulling out. Let us just finish our duty, and get out of here with honor.

'Please, I… I'm begging you. Don't let the people of Chau Sara suffer for the ambitions of a few.'

There was silence for a long, long time. The men looked at each other and spoke under their breaths. Theodore walked to speak with Malcov, and there was a long period in which Emily was just waiting.

'We'll go.' said Malcov finally. 'But this is the last time. If the Cerberus Commander tries to send us anywhere else, we're blowing his brains out and leaving.'

'I understand,' said Emily, 'let's move out men.'

They journeyed west and came into greener areas. Trees and grass could be seen, and occasionally an abandoned farmstead. This must have been one of the terraformed areas of Chau Sara before the xenomorphs came. Now everyone here had fled or died.

They met en route a company of marines whose leader saluted. 'Lieutenant Swallow, I'm Lieutenant Shren of Alpha Squadron. I'm to report to you for orders.'

'Understood soldier,' said Emily, 'fall in with us. We've got a hive cluster to assault and we need all the help we can get.'

They crossed over the bridge in a formation and saw the xenomorph hive. It was gigantic. The buildings were far larger than the others, and they were humming. Massive numbers of xenomorphs were around them, like ants devouring a rotting carcass. And more were coming. As they assembled into a long line and approached they stared.

'That's a hell of a lot more resistance than I was expecting.' Theodore said.

'We don't go back. We go forward. For Chau Sara! First in, first out!' cried Emily.

It would have been nice if they had echoed the statement, but they didn't. The men were sick of the wars and held no real loyalty to the Confederacy at this stage. It was funny, all her life Emily had wanted to face enemies who were pure evil. Enemies ike the Confederacy portrayed the Sons of Korhal and other rebel groups. Now that they were facing them the men wanted to jump ship.

'There was nothing glorious about what happened next. Nothing glorious about the way the xenomorphs died in droves. They never giving up no matter how many of them were killed. Nothing glorious about the way the corpses piled up by the hundreds and yet continued to press on. Wave after wave of the enemy were slaughtered as they gradually advanced. It became a blur of blood and death and smoke to Emily. Little by little the xenomorph hives were reduced to shreds of flesh.

Finally, the hives were done. Destroyed, and ruined. The creep beneath their feet began to retreat before her eyes. It was over. It was over.

So why was the ground beneath their feet shaking? A loose stone was vibrating along the ground, and Emily looked up. In the distance, she saw massed swarms of mutalisks approaching. And below them were thousands of xenomorphs, slathering for blood. No, tens of thousands.

'Soldiers form up! Take defensive positions and lay down fire!' cried Emily. 'Defend!'

They obeyed without question this time. They had no choice, and the first few waves of xenomorphs were slaughtered in moments. The tanks finished setting themselves up and obliterated huge clusters of them. Emily raised a channel.

'This is Emily!' she said. 'We've destroyed the xenomorph hives, but there is a wave of xenomorphs attacking us! We need reinforcements!'

For a moment there was utter silence, and Emily thought they had been abandoned. She honestly thought that. The Confederacy would never abandon its own. So why did she think they would? _'This is Jack Kennedy of the Wraith Squadrons, we've burned down our hives and are en route to support you.'_ said a casual voice. _'Hold your own, and we'll do the rest.'_

She breathed out and began to fire into the enemy ranks. 'Keep fighting men, air support is on its way!'

Better still the main column of xenomorphs was marching east towards the base camp. They would be smashed on its defenses. It was only a portion of the swarm which had broken off to attack them. Even so, the numbers were overwhelming. The hydralisks and mutalisk were firing their projectiles. Many of her men had been killed, and with their deaths, the line was weakening. Emily took a place in the line and fired her gauss rifle until her hands were numb.

Then there was an explosion behind her. It nearly threw her from her feet and she looked up to see the smoldering wreckage of a siege tank. Another such explosion ensued, and then they were without support.

'The tanks are gone, ma'am! We need to pull out!' said Malcov, gunning down a mutalisk.

'No! They'll run us down for sure!' said Emily, desperation in her voice. 'Form a ring, fight them off! Keep firing men!'

They obeyed. They had always obeyed, in the end. They had never disobeyed orders as they were sent again and again into the mouth of death. Forming their ring, they held back the tide of the xenomorphs. And little by little they dwindled.

The xenomorphs numbers were failing just as quickly, if not more so. Yet it didn't matter. Her men were dying around her.

As before it became a blur. She fought and fought, firing her gauss rifle into the enemy lines. Until, at last, she found herself standing alone. Her gauss rifle was clicking empty in her hand as she pulled the trigger in mindless reflex. Thousands of zerg lay dead around her. And with them lay her company. The stench of death was everywhere.

This… this couldn't be happening. It could not be just her.

She picked her way through the bodies, looking for survivors. Yet she couldn't see anyone, everyone around her was dead. One man was torn in half, another had had his face melted by acid spores. Others had had their limbs removed.

She was alone.

'Is anyone still alive?' she gasped.

'…Ma'am…' said a gasping voice.

She looked to its source and saw Theodore lying with his back against a rock. There was a hydralisk lying dead over him, a bayonet through it. Making her way across the bodies, she kneeled by him. 'Theodore!'

With effort, she hauled the beast off him and then saw that its scythes had cut him all over the chest. He was bleeding heavily. His eyes were distant. She opened a transmission. 'This is Lieutenant Emily Swallow, I need a medical transport now!'

'Lieutenant…' said Theodore. 'I can't see ma'am…'

'Just hold on Theodore,' said Emily. 'I'll call for an evacuation. You'll make it!'

'No… I… don't think I'll…' he began. 'I hate this damn Confederacy…'

'Theodore?' she asked, in a small tone. 'Theodore?!'

Yet Theodore did not speak again. He was dead. The last of her men were dead. They were all dead, dead because she had led them here. For the Confederacy, for Alpha Squadron, for the Cerberus Commander. This was his fault! All of it!

He'd forced her to do this!

No, no she had just followed orders. She didn't know the reasons for those orders, but there had to be one. She… she had to call in the results of her mission. Duty came first, duty to the Confederacy. Numbly she raised a communication and looked upon the devastation she had wrought.

'This is Lieutenant Emily Swallow…' She forced herself to remain composed. 'reporting the complete annihilation of the xenomorph hive clusters, mission… mission successful Commander.'

Mission successful and none of her men would be returning home. Just her, returning to Alpha Squadron, the only place she'd ever known. To serve the government, she had been programmed to serve.

A response came:

 _'Lieutenant. By edict of Confederate High Command, all matters regarding these xenomorphs are under Class 7 seal. Do not speak about the existence of the xenomorphs or in any way relay the events surrounding their appearance on Chau Sara. Failure to comply with this order will result in immediate termination._

 _'This conversation never took place. We were never here._

 _'Gather your company and prepare for evac.'_

Emily could say nothing. No words came to her as she kneeled there among the bodies of everyone he had been trusted to bring home safely.

 _'Lieutenant, please confirm the last order.'_

Still, nothing came.

 _'Lieutenant?'_ There was a note of threat in his tone.

'Commander…' She said, choking back a sob. 'I have no company.'

She had enough composure left to cut the channel before she broke out weeping over the corpses of her men. Above her, a squadron of wraiths flew into view, too late to save her men, too late to save anyone but her.

Too late.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

And finished. This story is definitely of a higher quality than the other ones' I'm stuck editing. I guess it came in later so my skill level was higher.


	6. Fall of Chau Sara

**Chapter Six: Fall of Chau Sara**

It was a barren, lifeless, and wretched colony called Abaddon which the people of Chau Sara had been moved to. All transport to and from the planet was restricted. There were no long-range communications safe those allowed by the military governor. Squads of white-clad Confederate marines patrolled the 'streets' of the colony. Here they were expected to work the mining equipment, which would all be shipped off to god knows where. Whatever profits they received for their trouble would be determined by the Confederacy.

The only food was a gray goop produced from an edible, genetically engineered moss. It was grown, cleaned and processed in supply depots.

They weren't the only ones here. There were many other colonies on that world, held under heavy guard as well. This place was a prison. A prison they had been sent because they knew too much. It was called New Folsom.

Collins supposed he should be glad they weren't all massacred to keep the secret. Duke must have pulled some strings for them. Some strings.

Collins entered the meeting room. He found Commander Alan Schezar waiting for him at the end of the table. Alan was a tall, blonde man, and very thin. He was dressed in a smart and well cleaned military uniform with the emblem of Delta Squadron on it.

'Magistrate Collins.' he said, nodding politely.

'Commander Schezar,' said Collins, wondering what was to become of him.

'My aids tell me that you were a notable patron of the sciences.' said Schezar. 'In particular undertaking private research into the xenomorphs.'

'Yes sir.' said Collins, feeling a prickling at the back of his head. 'I didn't know the Confederacy was researching the subjects, otherwise-'

'Please, please,' laughed Schezar, 'be assured I don't mean you or your associates any harm. My aids also tell me that you are a meticulous sort of man. You keep records on all your expenses and personal projects.'

'Yes.' said Collins.

'Would you believe that I am very interested in these xenomorphs?' asked Schezar.

'…Yes, sir, I would.' said Collins.

'Good,' said Schezar 'Confederate High Command has been keeping me in the dark, and I don't like it. Naturally, I have only the best interests of the Confederacy at heart, as I am sure you do.

'Even so, I would like to have some more information.

'If by some chance, you have kept any personal records of the results of your experiments...' began Schezar. 'I would be very interested to hear the results.'

Collins halted, looking around. 'Revealing that information could be very risky for me, Commander. By rights, if I had such information, I ought to hand it to official sources.' He would have already done it, but he was afraid of knowing so much that prison was deemed insufficient.

'I assure you,' said Schezar 'you can rely on my complete silence. I am merely trying to satiate my own curiosity on a few matters, to be honest. And in return, well, your people seem to be in rather an unfortunate position.

'I'm sure I could do much to make things easier on them.'

Collins sat down, drew off his hat and set it on the table. Things were horrible here, and even if Schezar was lying it could hardly get worse. What did he have to lose? Very little indeed. 'Alright Schezar,' he said 'what do you want to know?'

'Let me first start with what I do know.' said Schezar. 'Six months ago I was given orders to unleash a potent neurotoxin, designed to destroy any organic material they touched. The target was a colony of little import. I was given specific orders to not send anyone down to the planet, or initiate any scans. It was all on a need to know basis.

'These orders I did not follow.'

'Instead, I descended to the planet's surface and interviewed those stationed there. That was where I first learned about the xenomorphs. I quickly evacuated the people and arranged for them to be hidden on a planet where they could disappear. I then dosed the colony in the toxins to hide my presence.'

'Was this the first time you were given such orders, sir?' asked Collins, wondering just how close of a call he'd had.

'Yes,' said Collins, 'however with a bit of digging I learned something. Omega Squadron had been ordered to initiate similar operations. Nearly half a dozen times. Eventually, Lieutenant General Reikson started asking questions. I suppose they choose to move on to someone else.

'I also saw that Nova Squadron had been very active of late. They were sent on missions which were never spoken about or even alluded to in the news. Of course, the Confederacy never lets the right hand know what the left hand is doing. But it was easy to see that these facts were connected. I concluded that the Confederacy had known about the xenomorphs for some time. They had been trying badly to keep them a secret.

'As they still are.'

'But why…' Collins shuddered, 'why didn't they do the same thing at Chau Sara?'

'I don't know.' admitted Schezar, clasping his hands together. 'To be certain, they must have known the xenomorphs were there. Such an infestation would not have gone unnoticed. Not on a world as mineral-rich as Chau Sara, especially on such unprecedented scale. I might have thought it was because Chau Sara was too valuable to lose. But their decision to withdraw Duke speaks otherwise.

'I believe that when you called in Alpha Squadron, you disrupted things. Alpha Squadron arrived on Chau Sara to fight the Sons of Korhal. Then they encountered the xenomorphs. Duke has always been a very direct fellow, and he decided to try and destroy them, not knowing any better.'

'What about Cerberus Squadron?' asked Collins. 'They were on Chau Sara before Alpha Squadron.'

'That is where things get interesting.' said Schezar. 'Just before Alpha Squadron descended, Cerberus Squadron contacted me and requested my assistance. They wanted help in dealing with a series of unidentified hostiles. I believe that they were sent to evacuate the Flannum Installation and retreat.

However, the xenomorphs compromised the facility. They didn't have the manpower to retake it. When Alpha Squadron blundered into the whole affair, Cerberus Squadron opted to use them instead.' He paused and looked at his hand. 'There are no xenomorphs, according to official stories. But rumors of them are spreading. The secret is out. The Confederate High Command just stubbornly refuse to see it.

'Which brings me to what I want to know. I am very interested to hear everything you have to tell me. Especially regarding the entities called cerebrates…'

* * *

Lieutenant Emily Swallow had no company.

They were gone. All of Emily's soldiers, all of her men were gone. Every one of them had been killed in a gruesome war. One which half of them by all rights shouldn't have had to fight, to begin with. She could hardly conceive of it, and yet it was there.

And she, the person who lead them to their deaths, was still alive. Only she had survived. The knowledge hurt, and she'd spent nearly an hour crying in her quarters. After that she'd polished her armor, trying not to see the faces of her dead soldiers in her reflection. Finally, a call had come in from General Duke's office, and she attended it.

Here she was waiting now, waiting for what? What could she do without her company?

'General Duke will see you now.' said a soldier.

Emily arose and made her way into the office. Duke was scanning through reports, eyes narrowed. Eventually, he looked up and motioned for her to sit down. Emily obeyed, feeling utterly dead.

'You've done good.' said Duke. 'I'll see about getting your company replaced soon enough. For now, I'm giving you something easy. The press on Tarsonis is sending us a troublemaker. One of those damn reporters who never know when to keep their mouth shut and their eyes looking the other way. Apparently, his mother is a friend of the wife of one of the old families, so they don't want to just remove him.

'So they're having him do a couple of articles on Alpha Squadron, to act as an embedded reporter. It's a real pain in my ass, but orders are orders. I want you to stick close to him, and make sure he doesn't go snooping around in anything we don't want him to see. Also, act as a guide while he's on Norad II.

'Ya hear me?'

Emily didn't answer for a moment. She didn't know what to think.

'Do you hear me, Lieutenant?' repeated Duke in frustration.

'Yes sir,' said Emily. 'I'll keep an eye on him.' She had a duty to keep serving.

'Good,' said Duke, 'he should be coming through docking bay one within ten minutes or so. If you go now, you should meet him.'

Emily nodded. 'I understand sir.'

'Dismissed.'

Emily made her way through the halls in a daze, remembering the faces of her men lying dead on the ground. She'd taken casualties before, but never on that scale, never all her men. She'd heard horror stories of the Guild Wars. Of a time when entire companies could be wiped out in only a day of fighting. She had never thought it could happen to her.

They were all dead.

The reporter made his way out of the docking bay. He had black hair and a thin face, and he was wearing a long brown coat. Over one shoulder was slung a bag. Behind him a camera drone which observed everything as it followed him. Emily forced herself to be on her best behavior.

'Are you the reporter sent from Tarsonis?' she asked.

'Yeah, that's me.' he said.

'I'm Lieutenant Emily Swallow,' she said, offering him a hand. 'I've been sent to be your guide while you are with Alpha Squadron.'

'Michael Liberty,' he said, taking her hand. 'Hey uh…' He looked around. 'Is there anywhere in this place I can get a pack of smokes? I forgot mine back home.'

'No.' said Emily, though privately she suspected there were several.

'Right, guess I'm quitting then.' he muttered 'Filthy habit anyway. So why is a Lieutenant to on greeting duty anyway?'

'Sorry,' said Emily, forcing herself to smile. 'I'm not allowed to talk about that.'

Theodore and the others had died for something greater than themselves. She would never forget them or forgive herself for leading them to die. But Emily would honor their memory for the rest of her life as best she could. For now, she was just glad to have a less dangerous mission.

* * *

It had been two days since the Chau Sarans had begun to pack up and leave. The crew of the Drone II was ready to take advantage. The Confederacy had given orders for no ships to approach the system. But they weren't enforcing those orders with any muscle. Alpha Squadron had pulled out and now there remained only a few pockets of colonists and militia. They'd were fighting while waiting for evac. Jim didn't know what it was, but whatever it was had the Confederacy evacuating.

So here they were. As they came out of space around the barren world, Captain Jim Foster blew on his cigarette. The smoke rose within the cramped space of the bridge, before taking it from his mouth.

'What do our scans read, Joey?' he asked.

'Boss,' said Joey Ray, 'our scanners are picking up a whole lotta life forms on the planet's surface. Looks like their spreading real quick, and also there is this violet stuck you can see from orbit. Look.'

Jim made his way over and looked with raised eyebrows. 'Whatever it is, it ain't none of our concern. What are you detecting in orbit?'

'Uh… wait a minute.' said Joey, typing on the console. 'There is some magnetic signals, a lot of magnetic signals a few clicks away. Looks like a broken up ship or something.'

'Fine then,' said Jim 'get to the boys and go check it out. I'll mind the bridge.'

'Gotcha boss,' said Joey, standing and rushing out of the room.

Of course, it wasn't long before they ran into technical issues, as always. The screen on the communications array wasn't showing anything. Though the radio was working fine.

'I can't see a thing, Jim.' said Joey Ray.

'Well hold on.' said Jim.

'I swear, it's always some damn thing.' muttered Joey Ray. 'Wait, got it.'

The screen flared to life in glorious black and white. Now they could see each other, if only barely. The transmission cut out for a moment, then it returned.

'Aw, hell, this thing ain't gonna hold.' said Joey.

'Shut up,' said Jim.

Finally, they got a clear picture.

'Damn yer ugly.' said Joey.

As they approached the ship, Jim noted how much larger it was than the Drone II. I must have been some kind of troop carrier or something. Must have been left behind during the evacuation.

'You girls strapped in nice and tight now?' asked Harold.

'Harold, your momma is.'

Jim ignored the conversation and opened the pod bay doors. Out came the smaller vessel and headed towards their prize.

'Locked in and cruising.' said Joey.

'What you got out there for me, Joey Ray?' asked Jim.

'We got terran for sure.' said Joey, in his usual brand of helpfulness. 'I don't know about the rest.' Like it would be anything but terran, nobody had ever found no aliens and it wasn't happening now. 'We got a big old buttload of floating debris out here. Wewee! We hit paydirt this time for sure!'

The search continued.

'Explain to me,' said a crew member 'how are we gonna get all this home?'

Jim smiled. They would have to go through him for that, which meant he'd get the lion's share of the profits. 'Yeah…'

Then the video went out. 'Damn it, Jim. Video's out again.'

'Well quit picking at it!' snapped Jim.

'I ain't picking at it-' Whatever Joey Ray was about to say next, it was lost. His transmission became garbled as a shadow passed over the Drone II. A massive vessel loomed overhead, many times larger and of a design which could only be called alien. The garbling became more panicked.

The alien vessel fired a beam of white and blue light straight through the center of the Drone II. Jim turned in his seat, terrified as he heard the explosions resound throughout his ship. He was going to die! He didn't want to die! Then there was a pulse, and pain and everything went white.

Mara sat in her seat, adjusting various instruments as they came out of warp space. They were now approaching Chau Sara. Got she was sick of this. Chau Sara looked like even more of a mess than it had on her last trip. Huge swaths of land were covered in what the boys had started calling creep. Even so, she read a number of terran life signs far below. From the looks of things, the militia were holding out. Which meant the last batch of survivors to be evacuated.

'This is Mara Orion of the dropship Alucard III,' she said over the communicator, 'we are the final evacuation team. Do you read?'

'This is Lieutenant Sulas of the colonial militia.' said a voice. 'You boys need to hurry up! We're being pressed on all sides by these things, we need immediate-'

Communications became garbled.

'Say again, Sulas,' said Mara, 'I do not read.'

The channel cut out, and suddenly Mara saw a massive golden ship, like a scarab, appear out of thin air. A burst of light was unleashed upon the planets surface, and she could feel the heat on her face from there. As it hit the surface, a vortex of red light surrounded it. Vast clouds of dust could be seen from space, flowing from where the light hit the surface. Whole mountain ranges were laid to waste from the shock of its passing. Behind it was left a trench from which spilled out magma to soak the devastated landscape behind it.

Then came more ships and from these came more lights. Devastation was unleashed upon the surface. A brief transmission came forth, a scream of horror.

'What the hell is-' said Sulas.

Then it was only static.

Over the next thirty minutes, Mara watched the spectacle as it happened. She was horrified and awed by the sheer power now on display. Then the ships departed, and her fleet was left alone. Hovering over a dead world that had once been terran.

They had made First Contact with two alien races. And both of them wanted humanity dead. Not a single life sign was remaining on the planet, and beneath her, she could see the world itself churning. Its oceans were boiling, its atmosphere had been torn to shreds. And yet the destruction was still going on.

Finally, she spoke: 'Well… shit.'

This didn't bode well for the species. She got the hell out there.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

And here we have what was originally intended as the epilogue to Fall of Chau Sara. Ultimately I decided to make two stories into one story. Fall of Chau Sara is thus effectively an action prologue to the meat of the main plot line.

Odd thing which I realized while reading Liberty's Crusade. Several things don't make sense. General Duke is portrayed as a Colonel in the story, and Alpha Squadron never sees action on Chau Sara. These two things alone basically make it an alternate continuity from the games.


	7. A New Magistrate

**Chapter 7: A New Magistrate**

 _When I first encountered Serena Calabas it was on the cover of a whole lot of magazines. A fluff piece on how one of those Old Family princesses had gone against her families wishes and decided to marry for love. It was all bullshit of course, but even more than we realized. Calabas wasn't some spoiled child throwing a tantrum when she broke off her engagement, she was a genius no one understood._

 _Well, a lot of people understand her now. She used her warped and demented little personal bubble and expanded it repeatedly until the entire terran sector was remade in her image. Or at least that is how I feel sometimes._

 ** _-Liberty's reports, volume I._**

* * *

Tarsonis. The jewel of the Confederacy of Man, the largest population center of terran space, and wretched hive of scum and villainy if ever there was one. You would not think it was the latter, of course. It's gleaming spires played into its image as the heart of a benevolent government that was programmed into those unfortunate enough to be given the Confederacy's own variety of community service. Also known as brain panning.

It was the people you had to look at to see its darker half. The struggling janitor being screamed at by their boss, terrified of losing their job in a stagnant economy. The homeless man begging for credits on the street corner, clothed in rags. The stim addict suffering from withdrawal and desperately looking only for his next fix. All these things were a common sight outside the windows of cars.

The cold-hearted bastard sitting in the other seat, in clothes of the finest material, smoking a cigar rolled on the thighs of beautiful women from… wherever, and regarding you with a contempt reserved for uppity breeding stock? That sight was a luxury which Serena Calabas was afforded by virtue of being his niece.

'What do you see when you look out the window, uncle?' she asked, desiring to make conversation.

Arturro Calabas glanced over the decaying streets outside his window. A man was being mugged in an alley. A homeless man, stubble and relatively good condition clothes indicating that his predicament was recent, leaned against a wall in despondency, a bottle of liquor at his feet. As they passed he looked up with hatred in his eyes.

Serena wondered what the Calabas family had done to wrong him? Beyond being part of the rich elite crushing them along with their dreams a little bit more each day. She knew she would never find out, and so awaited her uncle's response. He took the cigar out of his mouth and put it out.

'Nothing of consequence.' he said. 'What is your point?'

'I see a revolution waiting to happen.' said Serena. 'We need another war. Something to distract the people from their troubles, and stimulate the economy.'

'Is that the reason for all this nonsense?' he asked, looking at her with contempt.

'More or less,' said Serena, 'that and I want to be known for what I've done, rather than who I've married.'

'That attitude is why you are worthless to me.' said Arturro. 'So long as the Old Families remain in power, and continue to profit, it does not matter what happens to everyone else. Events which are no concern of yours are already in motion to ensure our continued dominance, and that is all you need know.'

'I expect everyone else may have something to say about that, sooner or later.' mused Serena.

'They will not.' said Arturro, before turning away to look out the window again. They had passed onto the highway, and now that they were far from the human element one could almost forget the impoverished people of that neighborhood. 'The debts you incurred getting this position are your own.' He said suddenly. 'If you wish to play at men's work and be Magistrate of a backwater colony, it is your business. You do so without my blessing. If you cannot pay back your creditors I will not protect you from their retribution.'

She'd been expecting this. She'd hoped for otherwise, but she'd been expecting it. 'I understand completely uncle.' said Seren.a 'If I return to Tarsonis in grander style than I left I reserve full responsibility and credit for myself.'

'If you wanted to go anywhere in grand style you should have remembered your place more than your family.' snapped Arturro. 'I didn't need you to think. You think you were engineered with that body to make decisions? You are a complete disappointment.'

'Then I relish the opportunity to disappoint you further.' said Serena.

They spoke no more for the rest of the ride. Serena held her uncle in contempt, and he wished nothing more than to see her disappear. He'd only accompanied her because a member of the Old Families actually taking action against the alien xenomorphs was grounds for good publicity. Even her uncle had to acknowledge that having everyone hate you was negative, and he likely planned to use her as a martyr when Mar Sara {which was in polite society considered 'completely screwed'} went up in an onslaught of blue light.

The car pulled to a halt and Serena looked out the window to the spaceport. She sighed and picked up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. 'Well, here is my stop. Do say hello to little Morgan for me.'

'My son is sixteen.' said Calabas.

'Really?' asked Serena. 'I hadn't noticed. No doubt his carefully constructed mask of spoiled immaturity threw me off. You've taught him well.'

'Just go.' snapped Calabas.

Serena took satisfaction for small victories. Getting under her uncle's skin was one of those lesser pleasures which she had learned to treasure in the soul-destroying existence that was being part of the Old Gamilies. Getting out of the car, she made her way up to the doors and went through customs with ease. One of the benefits of being part of the old families was that you could flash a card and get special service.

Ordinarily, Serena would wait in line, but with the recent terrorist actions by the Sons of Korhal security had become a bit extreme. Besides, if things didn't go well she could officially consider herself as good as dead. Kel'morian Guilds were well documented in their ruthless dealings with those who took out loans, and because of the anonymous nature of said loans, even the Old Families weren't safe.

It had been a calculated risk to take out those loans. Now she only hoped nothing had gone wrong, and the things she had purchased with them arrived safely.

Soon enough she found her starship. It was the only starship which was heading to Mar Sara and it was heading there because she had paid its crew a great deal of money to do so. No one wanted to be around for a two for one deal of Second Contact.

Serena scarcely noticed her progress into the vessel, for she was on autopilot for most of it. Eventually, she sat down in her quarters and waited. Waited as the starship lifted off, waited as she began to head inexorably toward her destiny. And chances were it would be short, and a very horrible one indeed.

Drawing out from her bag a picture and looked at it. It was her as a child, smiling happily while reading a book on military history, on great conquests. When she played dollhouse, she had used her brother's action figures to massacre the civilians. Her dreams had been of leading armies and commanding hearts and minds. Of course, her purpose, as her family had envisioned it when she was born in a test tube, wasn't to do any of those things, it was to be married off to someone she barely knew as a trophy. A symbol of some political alliance at best.

Looking out a window, she gazed upon the planet of Tarsonis with its smog-filled air and gleaming skyscrapers. Floating cars going to and fro carrying people who had one business or another. Construction sites which hid within them signs of all kinds of corruption. Soon enough these became invisible as they climbed higher.

Soon enough they passed one of the three orbital platforms from which the Confederate Fleet was staged. And upon that platform, under heavy guard, was the Ion Cannon.

The Ion Cannon, a weapon so deadly that it couldn't be kept on around the clock. Just running it cost massive amounts of money. Yet if word reached the Confederacy of a fleet heading for its capital, that fleet would never reach the surface. Thus Tarsonis was invincible unless taken by surprise.

The weapon had been the brainchild of her uncle and made after a few close calls in the Guild Wars. Once it had been erected no fleet of ships could threaten the Confederacy's Capital. It had spelled the beginning of the end of the Kel'morian War effort, with the finishing blow being the use of Battlecruisers. Once the Confederacy gained dominance over space, and invulnerability to attack, the end was in sight.

The leading Guilds had negotiated terms, becoming part of the Old Families, the common people had suffered all the more. Nothing had changed. Perhaps it was this frustration that had motivated Korhal, the perception that the world could not be changed. And everyone knew how that had turned out.

Millions had died for almost nothing.

Yet this? This what she was doing right now would not be for nothing. Her time would not be a waste, and neither would her life.

* * *

As soon as she stepped off the loading ramp Serena was blasted by the hot sun. Dust was kicked up by the winds and blown into her face, yet she did not flinch as she walked through the clouds onto the barren surface of Mar Sara, a mining colony. Before her was a man dressed in a smart white Confederate uniform. He was sweating as much as she expected he would, though some ways away there was a water cooler with a shelter rigged up.

The flash of cameras alerted her to the crowds all around her. She had not been expecting to have to face a crowd this early, but she kept her head. The man in the uniform moved forward and offered a hand. 'Magistrate Calabas, I'm Lieutenant Idlen of the Confederate Garrison. I thought I should introduce myself.'

Serena had guessed as much. 'The gesture is much appreciated.' she said. 'Still, isn't the Confederate garrison supposed to act independently of the planetary government?' By which she meant its purpose was to crush rebellions, or at least keep them under control until a Squadron could sweep them up.

'We are.' said Idlen. 'However we've been getting orders from Alpha Squadron and I believe that in light of the xenomorph threat we'll have to work together rather closely.'

'The gesture is further appreciated.' said Serena with a smile. 'Tell me, who is the head of the Colonial Militia? I'd hoped to speak with him first.'

Idlen shrugged. 'The militias of Mar Sara all take orders from their own hierarchy, from town to town. The closest thing to a leader other than yourself would be Marshall Raynor. A former pirate, I don't really trust him much.'

'I'll make my own judgments on that.' said Serena. 'I take it these are my enthusiastic new subjects?'

'Yes ma'am,' said Idlen, 'the knowledge that one of the old families was coming here caused a big stir in these parts.'

'How did you gather them?' asked Serena.

Idlen paused, considering his answer. 'We made it clear that proper decorum was to be showed to the old families.'

What polite code for threats of violence and or bribery, Idlen ought to have been in propaganda. 'Excellent, that plays right into my speech.' Serena stepped forward to address the crowd. Opening her mouth, she was cut off as instantly the Mar Sarans broke into pre-rehearsed applause which could not have been more insincere if you put a gun to their heads and demanded they do it. Serena smiled and outstretched her arms. 'My good, dear people, let's all stop pretending to like each other!' That cut the applause short. 'Do you honestly think I'm unaware that the Confederacy pays, even threatens its subjects into coming out into the hot sun to greet the inbred spawn of the Old Families on the rare occasion that they actually do something?' The crowd was dumbstruck. 'We're about as popular as the plague. You not caring who I am is the best I can hope for.

And really? Why should you care about who your leader is?' She walked in a half circle, looking over the dirty and sweat-drenched faces before her. 'The Guilds enslaved you. The Confederates poisoned you, and the Old Families…' She paused and looked around. 'They have done nothing but cheat, and brutalize you!' She almost laughed. 'For what its worth, you have my word that I will never abandon you. And that I will do everything in my power to help you fight for a free and prosperous Mar Sara.'

There was a long stretch of silence. Then, slowly, mild applause resounded throughout the crowd. It was not enthusiastic cheering and whooping, as one might expect, but it was genuine. It was a start. Now to begin her plans in earnest.

* * *

The office of the Colonial Magistrate was a spartan affair. Most of the personal effects had been removed with the departure of former Magistrate Hammond. Now Serena set out her things and began scanning through documents. For the next few hours, she familiarized herself with the history of Mar Sara from the perspective of the Mar Sarans. Confederate data had been clinical, and not entirely accurate.

When she had finished with that, she opened a communication. It was answered and on the screen of her computer, she saw a handsome man with a buzz cut and stubble, clad in a green cold weather jacket with fur lining around the neck.

'You called?' asked Raynor.

'Marshall Raynor I presume?' said Serena.

'Yeah, that's me, are you the one they called in to replace Hammond?' There was an edge in his tone.

'I'm Serena Calabas,' said Serena, 'And yes, I'm the new Magistrate.'

'Good to meet ya.' Raynor said. 'How can I help?'

Serena blinked in surprise. Usually, when she said her name it invited either mindless appeasement or veiled contempt. To be regarded simply as a person was a new experience for her. 'Right, um… I've only recently taken up the position as Magistrate of Mar Sara and I thought I might consult with you. I'm told you are as close to a commander the militia have.'

'Well, technically you're the commander.' said Raynor. 'But yeah, I ran things for Hammond for the most part.'

'So I am.' said Serena. 'Magistrate Hammond has high regard for you, from what I've read in his notes.'

'We got on pretty well. He gave me a second chance, and I took it.' said Raynor. 'Guess he figured my reputation might scare people straight.'

'Well, whatever your reputation I need you to be honest with me.' said Serena. 'What is our military situation? Where are the xenomorph hive clusters located? How secure are our borders and how much of our military force is currently being used?'

'That's an awful lot of questions all at once, darling.' said Raynor.

'Don't call me darling.' said Serena. 'And I have a lot of work to do so I'd appreciate if you answer the question.'

'Alright, our military situation is…' he paused thoughtfully, 'well we aren't getting overrun or anything, but people are scared. Folks just heard how aliens glassed Chau Sara, and now they've got aliens on this world. A lot of them figure it's only a matter of time before the same thing happens here?'

'And what do you think?' asked Serena.

'Well the way I see it there a couple of things which could be happening.' said Raynor. 'Some people figure both races have it out for us, but I don't buy that. Why would two races we've never even met before want us dead? Then they could both have shown up on Chau Sara by coincidence, but I don't buy that either. I reckon the Protoss, wherever the name came from, are having a war with the zerg.'

'Zerg?' asked Serena.

'It's what we've been calling them down here.' said Raynor.

'Adorable,' noted Serena dryly, 'go on.'

'Anyway I figure that the zerg showed up on Chau Sara, and the Protoss didn't want them taking such a mineral rich world.' said Raynor. 'But they couldn't take it back the old fashioned way, so they glassed it from orbit, and we're the unlucky bastards stuck in the middle.'

Serena considered it and realized the theory made the most sense of those presented. She'd read the documentation on what the Confederacy knew, and no one had come up with a better idea than that. '…You are cleverer than you lead on to be, James Raynor. What about the zerg hive clusters?'

'Well… I don't really know.' admitted Raynor. 'The things have been staging all kinds of raids, some good folks have been killed and my boys are working round the clock keeping people safe. We've sent a couple of hunting parties out now and then, but we don't rightly know where they are.'

'That will have to change.' said Serena. 'I want you to find some good men and begin scouring the outlying regions for the zerg's base of operations. Or hive or whatever you want to call it. Finding the enemy is the first step to defeating them.'

'Sounds good to me.' said Raynor.

'Now for the next part, what military resources do we have now that are not committed?' asked Serena.

'Well all our active militia are working round the clock like I said.' said Raynor.

'And our inactive?' asked Serena.

'I guess they're just relaxing.' said Raynor. 'We've only had a few small raids so far, and some of us are thinking most of the critters got blown to pieces with Chau Sara. This might just be a side colony, y'know?'

'Do you? Well I do not.' said Serena. 'I have a bad feeling about this entire affair. That is why I am initiating a cancellation of all leaves.'

'Right, that makes sense.' admitted Raynor. 'I've been thinking I ought to do something like that for a while.'

'Also, there is another matter to attend to.' said Serena. 'I was led to believe that this colony's militia has a policy that all able bodied men must train in it for at least two days a week?'

'Yeah, that's the plan,' said Raynor, 'it was my idea actually, I figured we ought to be ready in case a repeat of the Guild Wars happens.'

'A wise policy, unfortunately, it is also sexist.' said Serena. 'As of this moment, all able-bodied men and women are to be trained for at least four days a week. I have a feeling we will need all the bodies we can throw at this.'

'Alright, but it's not gonna be a popular move.' said Raynor. 'I don't have a problem with women fighting, but some folks here are a bit traditional.'

'I imagine the complete annihilation of this colony and all its inhabitants would be equally unpopular.' noted Serena.

'Good point, I'll see about it.' said Raynor. 'I uh… there anything else we need to talk about?'

'Don't let me delay you.' said Serena.

'Raynor out.'

She leaned back in her seat. 'Well, that was the easy part. Now we get to the paperwork.'

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

This bit was long delayed because I had to take a break after the Precursor Campaign was finished. The chapter itself was rewritten several times over before I was finally satisfied with the end result. Something kept rubbing me the wrong way about each version.

Now those of you who read Starcraft: Rebel Yell will note that Serena is a very different character in this. This change was a deliberate decision, for the somewhat manic nature of Serena in the original story didn't really mesh with the down to earth gritty feel I was trying to go with for this story. Thus we have a more somber individual for our protagonist.

Interesting fact, I had an idea of keeping the story focused on Emily Swallow and Michael Liberty, but I decided that would be retreading ground already covered by Liberty's crusade. Moreover, the initial perspective of a Magistrate watching the colony they are in charge of fall to pieces is stronger than a reporter with no personal stake in the matter. So I've shifted focus to Serena as main character.


	8. Wasteland

**Chapter Eight: Wasteland**

 _The planetary draft would later become a staple of the Dominion. The powers that be in it liked the idea of having a nigh-infinite number of trained men and women to fight his wars for him, I guess. At the time it was unheard of. People had worked their asses off trying to make Mar Sara a decent place, and who the hell was Serena Calabas to put all the budget into military spending and put the whole planet on the warpath?_

 _After all, that was Alpha Squadron's job, wasn't it?_

 ** _-Liberty's reports, volume I._**

* * *

Three months later, Serena reflected that being Magistrate of a planet under assault by aliens wasn't nearly as exciting as it sounded. Serena fought through wave after wave of paperwork. In her off hours, she heard reports on raids and skirmishes between the militia and the enemy. The information came in from Raynor, describing how he'd found the location of several hives and the reports on their locations filtered in. This spurred Serena to take an excursion to examine the military equipment centers for the militia.

Several times she inspected the militia who were being trained. Yet these pleasant diversions were short-lived, and she soon spent her time writing out authorizations for the production of new soldiers. This policy of military first led to several conflicts; the present one was a textbook case.

'Magistrate Serena,' said Mesa Munroe, 'you can't cut funding to the schools.'

'On the contrary, Miss Munroe,' said Serena, 'under the authority vested in me by the Confederacy I think you will find I can do exactly that. Once the military equipment has been produced and the crisis has passed funding will return to normal. However, for the moment our priority is ensuring the zerg threat is dealt with.'

'Well, what about the other public works you've defunded?!' snapped Munroe, 'Roads, bridges, even electricity! Hammond spent years trying to make this colony a decent place to live, and you've torn up most of his work in a matter of months.'

'And if I do not do this the zerg will tear up this colonies population in a matter of minutes.' said Seren,a 'Feel free to complain to my superiors if you have a problem with my decisions as Magistrate.'

'But-'

Serena cut the channel. Then she pressed a bottom and opened up a channel. Idlen appeared before her, his hat off to reveal his short tawny hair. 'Magistrate Calabas, what do I owe the pleasure?'

'How is construction on those evacuation zones going, Idlen?' she asked.

'Well enough,' said Idlen, 'we should be able to house a great many people for a good amount of time and defend them until dropships arrive. What about your end?'

'Raynor has provided me with the location of several hive clusters.' said Serena. 'However, his reports indicate that the number of zerg has only increased. The militia has been skirmishing with them constantly, but as soon as we increased our numbers, they drew back. Odd behavior for dumb animals.'

Idlen remained silent. '…I should tell you something I heard, nothing official. I've heard a rumor, and it's just a rumor mind you, that these creatures operate on some kind of primitive hive mind. When we bring force against one group of them, they send forces from their other hives to meet us.

'The rumor is that these things are a lot more organized than any animal pack.'

'That is an awfully specific rumor.' noted Serena.

'That is all it is of course.' said Idlen. 'And it is nothing which anyone needs to mention to command.'

'I understand,' said Serena. 'I don't see anything which bears repeating.'

'Glad we understand each other.' said Idlen. 'Oh that reminds me, I've received news that Alpha Squadron is en route to Mar Sara as we speak. With any luck, those maps Raynor found should prove useful.'

'I'll be sure to mention your contributions to all this, of course.' said Serena.

'Understood, Idlen out.'

Serena leaned back in her seat and breathed out. This was it. This was her glory. She successfully controlled the Colonists state of panic and arranged for some maps for Alpha Squadron. Oh, and she managed to annoy every colonist on Mar Sara by redirecting funds from civilian pursuits to military ones that ultimately proved unnecessary. And, to top it off, also spent a great deal of money that Mar Sara didn't have on evacuation zones.

It had been an idea that occurred to her when she realized that if an exodus was required like on Chau Sara, there was no orderly method by which an evacuation could be arranged. So she had contacted Idlen and requested he provide security and oversight in the creation of fortresses. Their purpose was to shelter civilians until help arrived all over the planet. That, along with mobilizing the militia, had been her achievement for the past three months. And there were still her debts to consider.

Maybe during the Guild Wars round 2 they might prove useful. But in the meantime, Serena was not feeling particularly good about things. Even so, mission accomplished. A decent beginning to what hopefully would be a decent career.

'That's it.' she said 'I'm going out to eat.'

* * *

Later that night she got back to her office having eaten a very nice dinner of fast food and not much else. When she returned, she found that an encrypted Confederate transmission had come for her while she was at dinner. At once she replayed it:

On the screen, she saw a portly man with white and gray hair, wearing the uniform of the Confederacy of Man. His eyes were hard. 'Greetings Magistrate,' he said 'I'm General Edmund Duke of the Confederate Security forces, Alpha Squadron. The Confederacy has quarantined this entire planet and will proceed with the lockdown within forty-eight hours. You're to relocate your core colonists to the outlying wastelands.

Now I know there won't be any problems with these new arrangements.'

Unbelievable, this was going to be a PR nightmare. Serena quickly contacted Raynor, who appeared on the screen looking tired. 'Yeah, what is it? Bit late, don't you think?'

'No time for that now.' said Serena. 'I've just got orders from a General Edmund Duke to relocate the core colonists to the outlying wastelands. He'squarantinedd the whole planet.'

'What?!' said Raynor. 'Are you…' He strove to speak. 'Why?!'

'I don't know, he didn't give a reason.' said Serena. 'It sure isn't defensible. Look, I'm going to make an announcement now and give people a days warning. That should give them time to get their things together at least.

'What I need you to do is find me a defensible location to set things up. And get some SCV's down there to begin construction of shelters ASAP.'

'Right, right,' said Raynor, 'I'll meet your personnel en route and escort them to the new wasteland site. Wherever the hell it'll be. I think there are a couple of abandoned old mining bases we could repurpose out there. I'll move one of the militia's command centers out to one of them and we can start setting up from there.'

'Good start,' said Serena, 'now if you'll excuse me I need to make an announcement.'

The channel was cut and her hand hovered over the button which would broadcast and announcement to the entire city. It was to be used in emergency situations, evacuations and the sort. Now she had to stage an evacuation, but without a crisis. Why her? Seriously, why her?

Because she was in charge, that's why.

Still, Duke hadn't given her a specific time table. She pressed the button. 'Attention people of Mar Sara, this is Magistrate Serena with an important announcement. Alpha Squadron Commander General Edmund Duke has ordered me to begin prepping for an exodus into the wastelands.

'To this end, you are to prepare yourselves for a journey. Take what you need, but don't burden yourselves with luxuries. Remember that we will not be returning for some time.' She paused. 'In the meantime, I will be personally leading the task force to make sure there is a safe location with food, shelter, and a defensible position.

Good luck.'

Personally leading a task force? What was she thinking? That would be very dangerous! Yet at the same time, it would show them that she was willing to get her hands dirty. It might make them cut her some slack. Yes, this was important. She would set things up herself.

* * *

It was an advance team of several hundred people Serena was leading into the wasteland first. They were half people skilled in hostile environment survival and construction and half members of the militia who knew how to shoot and march for days on end. Serena herself wore a hulking blue painted marine suit, which she had taken lessons in the operation of before she came here. Scanning the horizon ahead of her with her gun, she looked back.

'Alright ladies and gentlemen,' she said over the com, 'our objective is to meet up with Raynor and his men and begin construction of proper housing facilities. Once we've done that we'll start bringing in the refugees.' She let the last part slip. Then again, she really was turning them into refugees, so it was true.

'Can't believe we're being sent to the wasteland.' muttered a SCV pilot. 'These Confederates think they can push anybody around.'

They could. Serena did not say as much of course, that might be an unpopular statement. 'Cut the chatter people, and keep your eyes peeled for our target. Remember, we're not just here to set up a colony, but also secure it against the zerg prowling this region. Let's hope Duke has his head on right.'

Soon they crossed over the river and into the shade of the cliffs. They arose high on either side and as they made their way along the path, they became very ominous. Serena heard something and turned with her gun to see a stone rattling down the rocks. Breathing out in relief, she looked to her men.

'Alright ladies and gentlemen, let's have the militia in front. SCV crews stay behind us while we clear the area.'

'Roger that.' said the SCV.

They made their way onwards into the crags, and saw no sign of life anywhere. Yet every so often there would be a sound, or the wind would brush through some rocks and they would look around. Serena could not help but feel that they were not alone, and as the area around them became larger, she felt no better. Then saw a gigantic dragon skeleton rising into the distance.

Its eye socket alone was larger than she was with her marine suit on. As she pressed on, she lowered her gun and stared upwards in awe. 'Now that's an eye opener.'

'Yeah,' said a soldier, 'these things used to live on Mar Sara. Dragons flying all over the place. Course they were all long dead by the time we arrived. Archeologists have always had an interest in the creatures, but the Confederacy doesn't care about things that don't make money.'

'You seem to know a lot about this place.' said Serena.

'I'm a student of history.' he replied.

'What's your name?' asked Serena.

'Prestor,' he said, 'Hector Prestor.'

'Nice to meet you.' said Serena, before halting. 'Look there.'

Before them, hidden just around a corner of rock there was a long mix between a bike and car. It was rough looking and appeared as if it had been assembled from spare parts. There was a man sitting with his back to them, wearing a cowboy hat and a coldweather boots. On his feet were heavy boots and there was a gauss rifle over his knees. As they approached he stood and turned to them, tipping his hat.

'Howdy boys,' said Raynor, 'I'm Jim Raynor. Marshall of these parts.'

'Good morning Marshall,' said Serena, 'I'm sorry about the short notice. This caught me off guard as well.'

'Well the good news is that the militia have become used to moving real quick without warning.' said Raynor, 'These critters keep us on our toes more than anything else. My boys have set up a base camp just a little ways south of here. Command Center and all.

'Wasn't expecting you to come personally, though.'

'I figured I'd get my hands dirty I guess.' said Serena. 'Let's get underway.'

'Right,' said Raynor, before mounting his vulture. 'I'll lead you there.'

Turning the vehicle round he took off at a slow enough pace for them to follow and the column made its way onwards through the desert. All of a sudden Serena looked to one side and saw a dust cloud approaching them. At the base of the cloud were many dog like creatures which she recognized from reports.

'Zerglings incoming! Open fire!' she called, raising her gauss rifle.

Over the past three months, Serena had trained in the use of marine power armor. She was profoundly grateful for the fact now.

The sensation of the gun rattling in her hand was matched only by the sound of gauss fire. She saw one of the zerglings fall and then the other militia joined in, forming a loose line as they shot into the oncoming waves of creatures. More and more of their enemies fell, and more and more of them kept coming.

Then there was a bursting sound, and a grenade landed amid the creature. An explosion tore through half a dozen of them. Then another and another, for Raynor's vultures was launching grenades into their midsts. Serena fired into the enemy ranks and soon one came up very near and leaped at her.

She was bowled over and flailed as she saw an orange blur slashing at her suit. No pain had been felt yet, but she couldn't get it off her. Then there was a shot and its head exploded, spraying blood all over her face plate. Serena forced it off, and wiped off the blood as best she could. Her suit crackled with damage.

'Is everyone alright?' she asked.

'I could ask you the same question.' said Raynor, kneeling by her. 'That was close.'

'Yes,' said Serena, 'it was.' Picking herself up she scanned the area. No other zerg were in sight. So she raised her gun. 'Let's get to the base, double time people!'

'Gotcha.' said Raynor.

Half an hour later the advance crews reached the base. A massive Command Center towered over them. Several supply depots, capable of acting as factories and greenhouses for producing food. The base was large, yet Serena knew the truth. 'This won't be enough. This is the Magistrate to all construction crews, I want you to start building shelters for the people who will be coming here.

'Raynor, your report mentioned there were several mineral rich areas in this region?'

'Yeah,' said Raynor, 'why do you want to start a mine?'

'Something to that effect.' said Serena. 'SCV crews who aren't needed for building shelters will begin operating the mines. The materials we get will go to a fund to pay for any expenses he refugees will need.

'Raynor I want you to take the troops and begin scouring this region for zerg. Search everywhere, kill everything you find. I don't want the refugees to be attacked like we were.'

'Sound fun.' said Raynor. 'What about you?'

'Me?' asked Serena. 'I'm going to contact the rest of Mar Sara and start making large scale decisions. You do have command functions in that Command Center, don't you?'

'Sure, sure,' said Raynor, 'have fun.'

The work was less boring than it had been before. Serena read over files that recorded the recruitment of the militia. It had been going very well from the looks of things, with many people jumping at the chance to serve in the militia. With the additional manpower, they were able to secure areas which were otherwise indefensible.

Still, Serena was worried. The zerg had been oddly quiet lately and she had the feeling that they were readying themselves for a strike. Opening a channel to Raynor, she spoke. 'Raynor, are you busy?'

'Well we just killed a couple hundred of these critters.' said Raynor. 'They're really coming out of the woodwork these days, spread out all over the place. What are the Confederates thinking?'

'I don't know.' said Serena. 'However, I want you to relay orders to all militia forces. Tell them that I want them to prepare for the possibility of a rapid strategic withdrawal to the evacuation zones. I also want them to start putting up defenses to withstand an assault.

'Something is wrong here. I feel it.'

'I gotcha.' he said.

The construction went well over the course of the next few days and soon enough a great many shelters had been erected. Serena doubted it would be enough, but she was afraid to put off the evacuation too long. Thus it was that she gave the order for evacuation.

The refugees and through the crags and hills like a great tide. They numbered in the thousands, businessmen, shop owners, packed onto buses and cars, making their way across the roads with all the belongings and goods they had been able to gather. Sometimes their vehicles broke down an they were forced to hitch a ride or walk. It was a horrible sight. Serena had done all she could to arrange for transportation, and many supply trucks had been repurposed to the task, but it still wasn't enough.

There were mutterings of anger among them, mostly directed at the Confederacy.

Serena did her best to find them things to do. The minerals gained from the mines were used to create a barracks factory. From that, she produced marine suits, which were assigned to various new recruits. She commissioned the construction of new SCV's and began to establish fortified mining camps in the cliffs above.

New supply depots were erected and people were put to work there. Yet Serena knew it wouldn't be enough.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Alright, Wasteland is done. Next up we get backwater station. Personally, I feel that Serena's characterization in this fic fits the mood better than it did in the previous one.

If the grammar is worse in this version, it's because the grammar checker I use is on the fritz. I'll try to come by and update it later when time allows.

 **Edit:**

So my grammar checker is back up. Oddly enough it isn't detecting many mistakes. Which means either I'm getting better, or my checker isn't very good. I leave such judgements to you.


	9. Backwater Station

**Chapter Nine: Backwater Station**

 _Serena Calabas was completely insane. Oh she might seem perfectly reasonable and nice on the outside, but just think about it. Here was a member of a privileged aristocracy who was born in a test tube to get married and hang off someone else's arm. She could have had it all without ever having to work a day in her life._

 _That she instead went and got herself college degrees was perhaps not a sign of irrationality. That she took loans from the Kel'morian Combine to buy herself a position as Magistrate on a middle of nowhere colony under attack by aliens? That holds a certain madness in it._

 _Then, to top it off, upon arriving, she told these fringe yokels to get their act together and form an army and proceeded to lead from the front. The only thing more insane than Calabas herself is thus that it actually, kind of, worked._

 _Strangely enough, it isn't even the craziest thing she ever did._

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

Three days later, the construction of the camp had still not ended. Serena had been sending salvage teams back to the city to pick up what had been left behind for use in the construction. The refugee camp had almost become a city unto itself, albeit one with militia armed to the teeth standing guard on the edge.

Raynor was in and out frequently, and when he came back, it was with stories of the hunts. Sometimes he and his militia brought back the bodies of the zerg and it wasn't long before the people had gotten sick of the gray goop which was produced by the supply depots and began trying to eat the zerg.

Case in point the fact that Serena was munching on a fried zergling leg while Hector talked about the ongoing battle on the other side of the table.

'The battle with the zerg is going well,' said Hector. 'I think. I mean we're killing way more of them than they are of us. For every man who disappears or gets jumped the critters takes dozens of casualties.'

'It probably has something to do with the fact that our soldiers wear heavy armor designed to block bullets and withstand artillery fire, while the zerg have to get in close and slash us with claws.' mused Serena. 'Any sign of them exhausting their numbers yet?'

'No.' said Hector. 'That is what worries me. They just keep on coming. And the further we go into the wastes the more we find. Those hives in the reports? They're secondary colonies. Raynor thinks their main hive cluster is somewhere further on. Thing is, we've been running into new zerg strains.'

'What kind of strains?' asked Serena.

'Well, the dog ones are pretty easy to kill.' said Hector. 'Mostly only a threat if they catch you off guard, or charge at you in such numbers that you can't stop them. But there are new ones, I think they're called hydralisks or something, that was the official lingo I got when I ran it by Idlen. They're huge with scythe claws and they fire spines at us.

'They're a lot harder to take, and we've lost good men to them.'

'I see.' said Serena. 'Hector, get in contact with some people who know their way around machinery. You know, sensor nets that sort of thing. If we can rig up a proper com sat station we might be able to locate their primary hive and destroy it.'

'Shouldn't we leave that to Alpha Squadron?' asked Hector.

'Have you seen any white clad marines marching across the wastes to glorious victory?' asked Serena. 'No? Then we're going to operate on the assumption that we'll have to kill these things ourselves.'

'Couldn't you pull some strings?' asked Hector.

'You severely overestimate my influence with the Confederacy.' said Serena. 'Do you really think I'd be here if they liked me?'

'Good point.' admitted Hector. 'I'll get on it.'

He stood up and made his way out of the room. Serena finished eating her zergling leg, which tasted like chicken but what didn't? Then she cleaned up and began reading over more and more reports. At that moment the door opened, and Raynor entered, looking quite pleased with himself.

'Hey, what's up man?' said Raynor. 'Got yer refugees tucked in nice and tight. Provided we can sidestep anymore surprises from our Confederate friends and we can keep em away from those critters, they should have an easy time.'

'I wasn't expecting you.' said Serena. 'Prestor tells me that you've been-'

'Priority alert!' said her computer. 'Backwater Station under attack by unknown alien organisms. Distress beacon activated at 1220.'

Serena rushed to the com and was about to open a channel before another one came in. It was General Edmund Duke in all his usual glory. 'We've already received the distress beacon from backwater, and we'll take care of it. You just sit tight. You'll be notified if there is anything we think you need to know.'

It cut out.

'Damn,' said Raynor, 'listen, if we wait for Confederate reinforcements, that station's dust. I'll head out there now and do what I can. You send in some militia, and we'll save those folks. Trust me.'

Then he rushed out the door without another word.

'…Alright,' said Serena, 'I'm just the leader of Mar Sara if you want to consult me on my opinion.' She paused. 'Screw it.' She pulled out her cell phone and called Hector. For a moment there was no answer and then he picked up.

'Prestor here.' said Hector.

'Prestor put the comsat station on hold. I want you to mobilize the whole militia for a full-blown offensive. Get me your best one hundred men and tell them to stand by for further orders. And get my armor ready, I'm going hunting.' She paused. 'You are in charge of the militia while I'm gone. Tell Mesa Munroe that she is in charge of civilian matters. You two keep everything running, and I'll get back to you.'

* * *

Thirty minutes later a line of troop transports, which were in truth civilian transport trucks adapted for their purposes rode into Backwater Station. Far from being under attack, they found Jim Raynor waiting on his own with the corpses of several dozen zerg lying all over the place. As Serena and the marines rushed out with guns readied they halted before him.

Raynor smirked. 'Glad to see you, boys. Time to kick some serious butt.'

'What happened here?' asked Serena.

'Well I got here, I saw the zerg attacking, and I kicked their asses.' said Raynor modestly. 'I reckon it's a pretty good start to the day.'

'It is only a start.' said Serena. 'I want you to scout out the region east of here and tell me everything you find. In the meantime, I need to meet with the people here.'

'Right on,' said Raynor, before getting into his bike and driving off.

Serena approached one of the SCV crewmembers who were relaxing after their shift. 'You men, what happened here?'

'Well we came under attack.' said one. 'His in the command center, y'know. But Marshall Raynor took care of it. Sorry if you boys came all this way for nothing.'

'And why are you standing around?' asked Serena 'Get back to work.' She glanced to her marines, then back. 'And where is your militia anyway? They ought to have been standing guard.'

'Well most of the boys were off duty y'know.' said the man. 'It had been a real quiet week.'

'Well find them and get them into uniform.' snapped Serena. 'I want them all suited up within thirty minutes and ready to move out.' She then turned to face her militia. 'Alright men, fan out and secure the area. There may be another assault coming. You, what is your name?'

'Marsha Maine, ma'am.' said the soldier.

'Marsha I want you to take a friend and scale the cliffs to the north. Scan for hostiles but do not engage. Contact me as soon as you find anything. You understand?'

'Yes ma'am.' said Marsha. 'Fredrick, come with me.'

No assault came, and thirty minutes later when the militia had all been arrayed and added to her forces, Serena found this intolerable. 'What is going on here? I was led to believe this place was under attack?'

'It does seem a bit odd.' said a man. 'Most of the time when the zerg attack they send several raids after us.'

'This is Marsha,' said Marsha, 'we've found the zerg. Hundreds of em about a mile north of Backwater Station.'

'Can you escape?' asked Serena.

'Well sure,' said Marsha, 'they ain't doing nothing out here. Just milling around one of them creep colonies they build.'

'Okay, okay,' said Serena, 'let me think. Why are they just standing there? If they had come down here with that kind of force they could have wiped this place out long before we arrived.'

'I dunno Magistrate.' said Marsha. 'Maybe the Confeds have some kind of psionic dohicky which disrupts their psychic communications.'

'Leave the thinking to me, private.' said Serena, finding the idea interesting. 'Keep a visual on them and wait for our coming.'

'Roger that, Marsha out.'

Serena turned to her soldiers. 'You men, follow me. We're going into the northern highlands, and we're going to kill everything we find there. If Raynor gets back-'

As if on cue Raynor came over the hill and slid to a halt before them. His vehicle was scraped and damaged in many places, but he himself was alright. 'Hey man, took out a couple hundred zerg while I was out there. Set some spider mines and lured em right in. Bam!

'Then I got into a firefight with those hydralisk things. What is going on here?'

'Fix his bike up.' said Serena to an SCV crew. 'We were just about to launch an offensive north. Did you notice anything strange about the zerg you fought?'

'Now that you mention it,' said Raynor, 'those critters were real still. Didn't pay any attention to me until I got close. It was kind of weird, with them just kind of watching. How did you guess?'

'Because several of my militia have reported a similar situation north of here.' said Serena. 'Anything else to report?'

'Well, the sensors on my bike indicate that an area on the hills east of here has a perfect place for mining.' said Raynor, drawing out a sheet of paper. 'Here are the coordinates if you're interested.'

'Excellent work,' said Serena, before opening a communication. 'Hector this is the Magistrate, I want you to get together some mining crews to begin operations to the east of backwater station at the following coordinates.' She said the coordinates. 'You get me?'

'Understood,' said Hector, 'I'll arrange for a militia escort as well.'

'Good thinking, Serena out.' said Serena, before turning her attention to her men. 'Alright, ladies and gentlemen let's move out.'

They trod up into the northern highlands and as they did so and soon enough came to what appeared to be a tower of flesh looming over the horizon. Around it was standing hundreds upon hundreds of the creatures, standing absolutely still. Yet they were watching them as they moved forward. What was worst of all was the violet goop which covered the ground beneath their feet, extending to suck at the ground.

'What the hell is that?' asked Raynor. 'Looks like the ground there is alive.'

'I don't know.' said Serena. 'Hang on, I got a report on this stuff from your scouts. How did you not recognize it?'

'Listen, man, I run the militia.' said Raynor. 'I pride myself on leading from the front, but the bottom line is I have to do a lot of paperwork and give a lot of orders. Even I can't be on the front lines all the time.'

Marsha came up to them from behind a rock. 'Ma'am, I've been scanning the horizon with my binoculars. I can see a line of bunkers in the distance. We might want to check it out.'

'After we're done here.' said Serena. 'Alright ladies and gentlemen, fan out into a line two men deep. I want you to stand shoulder to shoulder. The men in front will kneel down and open fire and the men behind will fire over their shoulders when the zerg get to us.'

'That sounds like a fine plan to me.' said Raynor. 'But those things don't look like they feel like moving and we're out of range. You wanna advance a little further?'

'Actually, I have a better plan.' said Serena. 'While the militia hold here you will charge in and lure the zerg out piecemeal.'

'Not sure that's gonna work.' said Raynor.

'If it doesn't we fight the entire army like we'd have to if we used your plan.' said Serena. 'So it's no loss.'

'Alright,' said Raynor, 'but I'm not happy about this.'

The militia fanned out and took the position as Serena commanded. It was a bit awkward and Serena had to make several commands to make them all ready for combat. At long last, they were there and all their guns were lined down range.

Serena took her place beside them. 'Now Raynor!'

Raynor rode towards the zerglings and fired a grenade into the midst of one of them. A large portion of the creatures snarled and rushed after him, while Raynor led them away towards the militia line. Serena waited as he veered out of the line of fire at the last second, waited as the zerg rushed at them.

Then she raised her gun. 'Open fire!'

The blaze of gauss rifles, the rattling of impaler rounds being launched, the sound of the sound barrier being broken again and again. All these things combined into a symphony which played triumphantly as the front ranks of the zerglings were torn to shreds. The others soon followed, for the zerglings had no formation and came at them in a loose mob. In mere moments the whole of them were slaughtered.

Then Raynor rushed back and lured yet another group of them. These were eradicated in a flurry of shots. Finally, there were no remaining zerglings. Serena smiled. 'Good work everyone. Load incendiary rounds and open fire on that structure.'

Moving forward the militia did so. Within a few moments the building caught fire, and within a few more the smell of burning flesh was everywhere as the structure little by little collapsed in on itself. Serena breathed out and realized she had just commanded her first military action.

'Alright, good work people.' said Serena. 'Everyone advance on that line of bunkers of look for survivors. Raynor, take point.'

'Gotcha.' said Raynor.

As they walked, they passed a broken down and destroyed town. No sign could be seen of anyone alive within it. Past that the militia soon approached the bunkers, massive square structures that clung to the ground. They had been built of neo steel and were designed to withstand bombardments of all kinds. As they approached some of the doors opened and several dozen men emerged.

'Thanks for the rescue.' said one. 'We've been holed up in these bunkers for days hiding from the zerg.'

'Are you boys from Backwater Station?' asked Raynor.

'No, we're from a mining colony some ways north of here.' said the man.

'I didn't know there were any legal mining colonies north of Backwater Station.' said Raynor.

'Well you must have heard wrong.' said the man. 'Take it up with the Magistrate if you want to know.'

'Hmm, okay.' said Raynor, before looking to Serena. 'Magistrate, have you authorized any mining operations north of Backwater Station?'

'Of course not.' said Serena. 'There is a war on, and doing any work that far north would only result in needless death.'

'As opposed to sending mining crews to the east of Backwater Station.' muttered Marsha.

'It's not as far out.' said Serena.

'Far out or not.' said Raynor. 'This is mighty strange. You boys want to change your story? Or should I start making arrests?'

'I… uh…' the man faltered. 'Look we're not from Mar Sara alright. We're an Antigan Mining company. We figured that with the zerg invading and everything going crazy we could take some unclaimed mining sites, get ourselves rich and get off.

'Then the Confederates quarantined the whole planet and we was stuck.'

'Take us back to your base camp.' said Serena. 'I want to speak with your commanding officer about paying off his debt to society. Unlicensed mining on a planet's natural resources is also known as theft, and I suggest you cooperate if you mean to avoid a one-way ticket to New Folsom.' It felt good to threaten someone with indentured servitude on the worst hell in known terran space.

'Right, right, we'll take you there. No need to get angry.' said the man.

When they found the base, it was far larger than they had expected. It was equipped with two military barracks, and its command center was state of the art. The equipment they had was far better than what was available to the Mar Saran militia.

'These things have been out here a while.' said Raynor 'But they could be pretty useful.'

'Yeah, we uh… we lucked out and found an old base from the Guild Wars.' said their guide. 'We'd gone pretty heavily armed ourselves while we were at it. Anyway uh… the boss is over there in the bunker line that way.'

'Excellent,' said Serena 'lead on.'

When at last they came before the leader of the Antigan expedition the sun was setting on the horizon, painting the world in the colors of twilight. Serena knew that they could go no further together whatever the result.

The 'boss' was clad in a state of the art firebat suit and accompanied by many other firebats. There was a tense silence as the marines lowered their guns and the man approached. 'Need a light?'

'I'd much rather have your name.' said Serena.

'Gui Montag.' said the man, visor pulling back to reveal a sooty face. 'How can I help.'

'Well first of all,' said Serena. 'I want you to tell me everything you know about the surrounding areas, and the zerg.'

'Well north and west of here,' said Gui, 'there is mostly sheer cliffs. Only a small path leading up those ways which anyone can get up here. I have some boys guarding that route so the xenomorphs can't use it again.

'They slipped through down south in the night, heading somewhere. Haven't heard from em since.'

'They attacked Backwater Station south of here.' said Raynor. 'You boys should have been more careful.'

'Yeah,' said Gui, 'well to the east we've got bigger problems. Whole lot of xenomorphs tried to attack the bunkers. My boys and I fended em off, but they kept on increasing in intensity. Then they just sort of stopped. No idea why.

'Now we don't know what is going on.'

'I see.' said Serena. 'Then east is where we will head next. North of here is where the zerg's primary hive is located, at least that is what our scouts think. We'll save that for last.'

'East seems the right choice.' said Gui 'There was a Confederate research base in that region, actually. Real tight security, though I never got any word on what they were doing. A couple of small towns too.'

'Squatters?' guessed Serena.

'Well yeah,' said Raynor. 'sometimes folks who live in Tarsonis and other core worlds go out onto the fringe to try and start a new life, where you don't have to worry about ghosts on rooftops as much.

'We don't have all of them on record.' He paused. 'Have you boys heard any word from those towns?'

'Nah,' said Gui, 'only thing we've seen going west are xenomorphs.'

'You keep calling them xenomorphs.' said Raynor. 'Why?'

'That was the official name for em.' said Gui, looking a bit shifty.

'Not that I heard.' said Serena. 'In fact until recently I thought these things weren't supposed to exist.'

'Look,' said Gui. 'I'm not allowed to talk about it. I don't feel like getting shot through the head by a ghost, so I'm not gonna talk about it.'

'Fair enough,' said Serena, 'you can officially consider all of your earnings from the mine taxed in reparations for breaking the law. They and any further profits will be directed to my private bank account.'

There was silence.

'That's a little self-serving, don't ya think?' asked Raynor.

'What?' said Serena. 'I'm in debt to the Kel'morian Combine. If I don't make enough of a profit from this venture to pay them off I'm going to end up hanging from a street lamp somewhere.

Of course, if Mr. Montag were to provide me with information that may be essential to the survival of this colony, I might be willing to be more reasonable.'

There was a long silence as Montag thought about it. 'Alright, alright, you tell your boys to walk out of earshot, and I'll tell mine to do the same. And you didn't hear this from me.'

'Understood,' said Serena, activating the record feature on her marine suit, 'Raynor, tell the men to move away. You'd better go with them.'

'Alright,' said Raynor, 'you heard her men. They want to meet in private.'

When everyone was gone, Gui glanced around as if expecting to see a ghost watching him. He took the cigarette out of his mouth. 'Okay, some months ago I was involved in an operation to evac a Confederate facility on Chau Sara before it got nuked. Apparently, Magistrate Collins was undertaking some research on the subject. The xenomorphs were way thicker on Chau Sara than they were here.

'The Commander of Cerberus Squadron-'

'I've never heard of anything called Cerberus Squadron.' said Serena.

'That's because it's not official.' said Gui. 'They work black ops, making sure the Confederacy's dirty little secrets stay secret. Mostly they use the other Squadrons as muscle or recruit local forces. So obviously they wanted to keep things on the down low, but the xenomorphs had set up hive clusters all around the Flannum Institute. Thing is, Alpha Squadron was hunting rebels and had already run into some xenomorphs. So the Commander recruited an Alpha Squadron company, Frontal Company I think.

'I worked with Frontal Company to wipe out the primary hive clusters and then I went into Flannum Installation, did my job and got out.'

'What was the name of the Lieutenant in charge of Frontal Company?' asked Serena.

'Um… Swallow I think.' said Gui. 'Emily Swallow. Now that I think of it, I heard she acted as Ethan's right hand throughout the whole war. Ended up involved in the worst of the fighting and survived it all. Though her whole company got wiped out in the process. If anyone knows more than me it's her, cause she was there for the whole Chau Sara campaign working with Ethan directly.

'Ethan was my Commander in Cerberus Squadron.'

'What did you do after you finished your mission.' asked Serena.

'Well, I was met by this real shady fellow,' said Gui. 'Samir Duran was what he called himself. No idea if that was his real name, but Ethan took direct orders from him. Maybe he was calling the shots in Cerberus Squadron, not really sure. They like keeping people in the dark in that outfit.'

Serena blinked, unsure if she had heard correctly. 'Samir Duran?'

'Yeah, that was what he called himself.' said Gui, eyeing her. 'You know him?'

'I… my uncle works with him.' said Serena.

'It must be on something really important. He swore me to secrecy and politely suggested I retire.' said Gui. 'When someone in authority suggests you retire from Cerberus Squadron you do. No one stays in it very long. The Confederacy doesn't like people knowing too many of their secrets. When they ask you to retire, you retire and that's that. Otherwise, you disappear.'

'I see.' said Serena. 'The Confederacy clearly took a very active role against the zerg on Chau Sara. Why aren't they doing it now?'

Gui remained silent for a long moment. 'I don't know. What do you want from me? I was just muscle. Hell, Ethan probably didn't know a thing about it.'

'Why are you here?' asked Serena suddenly. 'If you knew the xenomorphs were such a threat-'

'The number of xenomorphs on Mar Sara is nothing compared to what Alpha Squadron faced.' said Gui. 'I figured that Alpha Squadron would come down here and wipe them out in a day or so and in the meantime my boys and I could strike it rich. Instead, they locked down all passage to and from the planet, and now they're just watching. Like they want to see what will happen.'

Something was wrong here. Serena could not put her finger on it. 'They already know what will happen though, don't they? They would have to have known about the zerg for some time before Chau Sara to be researching them. They had already seen what would happen in those worlds.

'So why lock down the planet? They could get a huge PR boost from wiping out the zerg, but instea,d they are just letting us do all the fighting-' A statement suddenly came to mind. 'Gui what do you know about how the zerg are organized? I mean how do they react to different combat situations? How do they communicate?' Idlen had given her the information, but she wanted to confirm it.

'Hell if I know.' said Gui. 'I wasn't on the ground much. I think I heard one of the scientists say something about a hive mind though. If you can find Emily Swallow she might be able to tell you better than I. Now if there is nothing else, I'd rather stop talking before my head gets blown off.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'I'll keep this to myself.' That sealed it then. The zerg had a hive mind, and the Confederacy was trying to exploit the fact.

She turned and walked back to Raynor, who looked at her curiously. 'What did he say?'

'If I told you that,' said Serena with a winning smile. 'I'm afraid I'd have to kill you.'

'Ouch,' said Raynor, 'so what is the game plan.'

Serena turned to see Gui approaching with his men. 'Alright, I'll allow you to keep half of your profits from this venture. The rest of it is mine.' She paused. 'However, if you assist us in our offensives against the zerg in this region I'll happily allow you to keep three-quarters of what remains.'

'You're the salt of the Earth, Magistrate.' said Gui.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Okay, so Backwater Station will be taking place throughout several chapters I think. There is a great deal of content to be found in this mission beyond simply destroying bases, and it's kind of important to establish the relationship between Raynor and Serena. That and this chapter was really getting long.

By the way, you may have noticed that I am taking steps to make Serena's career more similar to that of the canon Magistrate. As things stand now, I'm pretty sure this all could have happened within the context of the original story.

 **Edit:**

Okay, so it turns out that Gui Montag was supposed to be an Omega Squadron marine. My bad, I figured he had no backstory outside of the missions and that I could just make him the firebat who talks in Backwater Station. Too late to change it now.


	10. The Cost of War

**Chapter Ten: The Cost of War**

 _When I first met Serena Calabas, my impression was that she was more than a politician. I'd heard she was taking the position, of course, but I'd never expected to actually see her at the front. Yet there she was, given orders to Guild Wars veterans and the planetary Marshall like she had been born for it._

 _She seemed perfectly in control of herself._

 _That just made what we saw next all the more horrible._

 ** _-Liberty's reports, volume I_**

* * *

The next morning the newly bolstered militia pressed on into the eastern highlands. No sign could be seen of Alpha Squadron or any life at all for that matter. The sun was particularly harsh today so that even their armor's built in air conditioning soon proved insufficient to keep them cool.

Serena marched at the head of the column, while Raynor scouted ahead. Eventually, he zoomed into sight and halted. 'We've got trouble boys,' he said 'there are a whole lot of zerg waiting just over the next hill, with more of those structures. There have got to be more than a thousand.'

'What are they doing?' asked Serena.

'Nothing,' said Raynor, 'just milling about, but you can bet they'll come charging right at us if we get too close. We ought to do the same thing as last time.'

They scaled up over the hill and looked down at the area below. Vast stretches of creep could be seen covering the surrounding area. True to Raynor's word there were more than a thousand of the creatures. In fact, there might have been closer to two thousand. Serena bit her lip. For they were as still as the grave.

'Gui,' said Serena, 'have you ever encountered anything like this before?'

'No,' said Gui, 'in my experience the critters attack like crazy unless their massing for a real onslaught. Course we haven't seen many of those around here.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'alright ladies and gentlemen, we'll do this like before. Fan out, two ranks deep, firebats in front, marines behind.'

The ensuing battle felt more like butchering cattle at a slaughterhouse than a true life or death struggle. Serena watched from the hilltop as Raynor lured small portions of their force, one after another into an onslaught of impaler rounds. Those zerg who got close were roasted by the firebats into ash. Some of the firebats had their suits badly damaged, but it was overall far too easy.

'This is ridiculous.' said Serena as the marines and firebats converged to burn down the hive structures. 'Not even dumb animals would act like this, and these zerg were supposed to be smarter than them.'

They're like ants, aren't they?' asked Raynor.

'Yes,' said Serena, 'but ants are smart as a whole. They're constantly working to do all kinds of things, whether going to war or simply finding food for the Queen. There is no natural reason for anything to act like this.'

'Well, what about an unnatural one?' asked Raynor. 'Some of the boys have been theorizing that there is some kind of disruption going on with their communications. Maybe if they get cut off from the hive mind, they just go dormant.'

'Maybe,' admitted Serena, 'but if that were the case, it would raise the question of what is cutting them off from said hive mind. We simply don't know enough to make a judgment here.

Whatever the case, our priority is the destruction of the zerg infestation wherever we find it. We'll deal with why we're having such an easy time of it later.'

South they traveled now and soon began to scale down the cliffs. Beneath them, they could see a forest of scraggly trees. As they reached the bottom, they found the zerg waiting for them. The creatures burst out of the ground and unleashed flurries of spines at them. Several men before Serena fell to the ground, many spines breaking through their face and chest plates. They spasmed and then fell still.

They were dead.

As the sound of gunfire broke out and the militia struggled to form a battle line on the rough terrain, Serena realized something. Men had died under her command. Mean with families and friends. It had been her fault; she was the one who ordered the descent without regard for formation. She'd gotten people killed. The sound of gaussfire was muted around her.

A savage fury took hold of her as the battle raged on. She raised her gun and rushed to the front and opened fire, gunning down a zergling, then another, then another. Her weapon then turned to the hydralisks, gigantic snakes with arms like the scythe of the grim reaper. Several of her men fell, but nothing touched her as she fired into their ranks.

One of them fell to her, then another. Several more followed from the militia as a barrage tore through several of the trees. Finally, it halted, and Serena realized she was breathing hard, and tears were coming from her eyes. Her lips were dry; her hands were shaking.

'…Attend to the wounded,' said Serena, 'anyone who needs transport back to base will be escorted. Damn it! Damn it all!'

'It wasn't your fault.' said Raynor.

'The hell it wasn't!' snarled Serena. 'I just assumed that the zerg weren't any threat and ordered us to descend without doing any scouting! Because of me… because of me, those people are dead…'

'We all got complacent.' said Raynor. 'I should have brought it up. I've seen this kind of thing happen in the Guild Wars. Things go really well for a bit, and folks get sloppy. Hell, that is what started the Guild Wars in the first place. Right now we have to worry about making sure it doesn't happen again.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'right, okay, Raynor I want you to scout ahead. See if you can find any of those towns you mentioned, and get in contact with the locals if you can. They might know more about what is going on. If you can't… well come back here and tell me.' She looked up to the formation. 'All right people I want everyone down here ASAP. We can't stay out of formation any longer. We'll advance slowly behind Raynor and kill everything we find.

Don't try and do anything heroic, and don't try to scale the hills. Remember what happened here. Where is Marsha?'

'I…' A soldier, Fredrick, came forward. 'Marsha is dead. She was next to you when we came under attack. She pushed me out of the way, actually.'

'I…' A lump formed in Serena's throat. 'Okay, okay, belay the advance order. We'll bury our dead first. Is there a chaplain assigned to the militia?'

'We don't usually go out in force.' admitted Raynor.

'We have one back at base.' said Gui. 'I could send for him.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'okay we'll do that. We'll rest an hour or two.'

'I'm heading out right away.' said Raynor. 'Those towns might need help and if I get there sooner the better.'

'Do what you want.' said Serena.

This was war. People died in it, not always heroically either. It wasn't like anything which propaganda had shown. She'd known it wasn't, of course, but it was like nothing which she had ever experienced. No, she had to be strong. She had to be in command; people were counting on her to be in command.

That afternoon Raynor did not return, but the chaplain did arrive, and a funeral was made. It passed in a blur for Serena, and as the soldiers were laid to rest in a mass grave, their armor salvaged for use later by Gui, she had to speak.

'These men…' she began 'they died for something greater than themselves. They fought bravely against the zerg to protect the innocent, to protect Mar Sara. They have earned their rest. It now falls upon us who remain to ensure they did not die in vain.'

It was not entirely terrible for something made up on the spot. Yet it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

With the bodies buried the rest of the afternoon was spent on vengeance. They made their way throughout the lowlands and forests, finding pockets of zerg and killing them. No one else died, for no more hydralisks were there. Yet by the time it had gotten dark they all felt bitter and angry, or so Serena assumed. As the sun began to sink beyond the horizon, she suddenly snapped.

'Where the hell is Alpha Squadron?!' snarled Serena. 'They said they'd take of it! Two days in and we haven't seen any sign of them?! What? Are they waiting to see what will happen?'

This set off a series of other grumbles and muttered statements of hostility which occurred before they finally set up camp.

'What the hell are they doing?' said Fredrick. 'We mobilize in hours, and they call us inefficient. Now they're two days late, and nothing has happened.'

'They aren't trying to get here.' said Gui, in a low tone.

The statement took her off guard. 'What do you mean?' asked Serena. 'You don't really think that-'

'I've worked with Alpha Squadron several times.' said Gui. 'I was in Alpha Squadron during the Guild Wars. Duke is a lot of things, but he isn't sloppy. He prides himself on being able to deploy his forces in full order faster than anyone else. Hell, his whole purpose is to break open the gate so other Squadrons can finish the job. If he was trying to get here on time, every zerg in this damn region would have been a smoking crater by now.'

'…Okay,' said Serena, 'so let's say he is deliberately staying out of it. Why would Duke want to let a station get destroyed on his watch?'

'He wouldn't.' said Gui. 'Duke is a real frontal assault type. Always prefers to smash his enemies to pieces. If he is deliberately staying out of this, then he's doing it on orders higher than he is.'

'So someone in the Confederate High Command wants the zerg to win?' asked Serena. 'No, Mar Sara is no threat. They stand nothing to gain by crushing it, and a victory here would be good for PR. There has to be some other reason behind it.'

'Think it has anything to do with the zerg who don't do anything?' asked Gui.

'Yes,' said Serena, 'it could be coincidence, but if there was research being undertaken into the zerg it's possible that they might have found a way to pacify the creatures. If that were the case, they would want to learn how long they could keep the creatures pacified.

'I think we just screwed up their whole plan.'

'A weapons test?' realized Gui. 'It might be a weapons test you mean?'

'Yeah,' said Serena, 'don't tell the men about this. Say nothing, you understand me, not even to the other officers. Especially not Raynor. Once word of this gets out, everyone will want to pay back the Confederates, and that won't end well at all. We have trouble enough with the zerg.'

Raynor came back the next day. In his company were two people, a thin man with dark brown hair and wearing a long coat that was tattered. He stepped off, and after him stepped off a very pretty woman, who had a gun slung around her arm. Gui stiffened.

'That woman is Emily Swallow.' he said. 'No idea who the guy is.'

'He's a reporter of some influence.' said Serena 'My mother is best friends with his mother, so he can get away with broadcasting things which would get anyone else crucified.' She moved forward. 'Michael Liberty, you are a long way away from Tarsonis.'

Liberty looked up in surprise. 'You recognize me?'

'Yes,' said Serena 'my uncle hates your guts.'

'Oh, uh…' Liberty paused. 'You are Serena Calabas aren't you? That rebel princess of the Old Families who turned down political marriage and got yourself a degree in administration.'

'More or less.' said Serena. 'Raynor, what have you found?'

'Everyone is dead.' said Raynor bitterly. 'Two whole damn towns slaughtered. Some people looked like they left in a hurry so a few might have made it to refugee camps. The attack happened a day before we got here.

'If help had arrived sooner, they'd probably still be alive.'

'We couldn't have gotten there sooner.' said Serena.

'I'm not talking about us!' snapped Raynor. 'If Alpha Squadron had brought the Norad II down here right away those people would still be alive. Where the hell is Duke?'

'I must inform you,' said Emily, 'that the Norad II would be an overreaction to this level of force.' She paused. 'However given what you've said it seems there has been a delay in the deployment of forces. I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for it. Before we…' She noted the glares directed at her from the militia. 'Nevermind.'

'Perhaps there is,' said Serena, 'whatever the case our priority is to exterminate the zerg infestation.' She noted at Emily had a gauss rifle slung over her back and decided to pretend to not know who she was. 'Are you trained with that?' That was an incredibly stupid question, reflected Serena to herself moments later.

'I am proficient.' said Emily. 'Alpha Squadron prides itself on keeping its members well trained.'

'You're from Alpha Squadron?' asked Fredrick. 'Where the hell are the rest of your team.'

'I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of Alpha Squadron forces.' said Emily. 'I am at present off duty acting as an escort for Michael Liberty while he conducts his investigations.'

'Yes, she's right.' said Michael Liberty, who looked shell-shocked.

'She is one hell of an escort.' said Raynor. 'There were half a dozen dead zerglings in the place when I got there. When I found her, she'd killed a hydralisk.'

'Well, I killed-' began Serena.

'With a knife.' said Raynor flatly.

Serena opened her mouth, then looked at Emily, then back to Raynor. 'Are you serious?'

'Yes,' said Raynor.

'We are also trained in hand to hand combat.' said Emily modestly.

'Well get that gauss rifle of yours ready.' said Serena 'We're heading north next, into the highlands. The maps of this place tell me that south is a dead end, so we'll find the source of these zerg here.' She paused. 'Wait a minute; there is a Confederate Installation in that direction isn't there?'

'Yes,' said Gui, 'research center I'm told.'

There were murmurs among the men. Serena raised a hand for silence. 'Don't get carried away. It was probably overrun when the zerg attacked. Maybe evacuating the facility took top priority for Alpha Squadron.'

'…That may be the case.' said Emily. 'Confederate Colonial Protocol clearly indicates that active Confederate installations take priority over private enterprise.' Several more resentment murmurs came around.

'That private enterprise includes peoples lives, Swallow.' said Raynor, frowning.

'I am not making an ethical statement.' said Emily. 'Just telling you what the protocol says. It is determined by Confederate High Command, I don't have any say in it.'

'Whatever it says,' said Serena, 'it doesn't matter. Gui, tell me this, what is the best way to get up onto those cliffs?' She motioned northwards.

'There is only one way I know of.' said Gui. 'The slope becomes level enough to climb. Thing is, it's really thin and we might end up getting strung out like before.'

'Alright,' said Serena, 'here is the plan then. Raynor you will race up first to draw the fire of any zerg in the area. While you are doing that, we'll follow up behind and set up a two sided battle line. Once we're through the breach, so to speak, things should get easier.'

'That may not be necessary.' said Emily. 'Given that Backwater Station is now secure it might be wise to simply take a defensive position and allow Alpha Squadron to handle all further operations.'

'Oh yeah, because that worked out so well last time.' said Fredrick.

'She may have a point.' said Gui. 'We'll probably take casualties if we scale that way. And we've achieved our primary objectives. The colonists are all secure.'

Serena considered it. She got the feeling that it would be the most tactful response to the situation. If she left some of the zerg intact it might allow the Confederacy to still gain the benefits of her experiment. By all rights, she should allow it to happen.

She looked to her men. She did not want to lose anyone else.

Then it occurred to her that if she let Alpha Squadron finish the job the Confederacy would take all the credit. The militia who had fought, killed and died would be given an offhand mention while glorious Alpha Squadron would be lauded as heroes for coming in and destroying the zerg. The idea was intolerable to her.

'No.' said Serena. 'I will not concede defeat. We march on the zerg north of here.' She paused. 'Michael Liberty,'

'Yes,' said Liberty.

'I am relying on you to write a full report on what happened here today. You should note the Confederacy's lack of action and the heroism of the colonial militia. You will then conclude by noting that the colonists of Mar Sara eagerly await the Confederacy taking action against the zerg.'

'I was pretty much going to write that anyway.' said Liberty.

'Excellent,' said Serena, 'let's move.'

They went north, guided by Gui until at last, they came to the ramp he had spoken of. Arraying their forces at its base, Raynor stood ready. He took a deep breath and looked at her. 'You know this is crazy right? You are using me as cannon fodder.'

'You can call yourself bait if you would prefer it.' said Serena.

'I don't.' said Raynor, before gunning his engine.

Surging up the cliff, the men followed behind in a mass. Sure enough, the sound of spines being shot resounded and they bounced off Raynor's bike as zerglings rushed after him from either side. For a few terrible moments, the militia was racing, hearts pounding, legs pumping. They knew that if the zerg barred their path they would be utterly screwed.

Then they were over the edge of the hills and spilling forward. Turning around in mid-step they opened fire on the distracted zerg. The creatures redirected their attention too late. Many of the zerg died in moments, yet more was on their way from both sides. It wasn't long before the militia was fighting against waves of zerg numbering in the thousands from both sides. The ground shook, and you couldn't shoot without hitting something.

Raynor fired his grenades as the line reached the firebats, who roasted the zerg as they came. For a few moments, there was terrible chaos as several of the firebats exploded and died. A zergling ripped through a marines arms and legs, before eating his face.

Finally, it stopped. The zerg now lay all dead around them, charred and shot to pieces. Some of the militia had died as well. Serena felt bitter as she watched some of her troops bury them, or what was left of them. She now wondered if her choice had been right, to launch the attack. Had she caused more trouble for the militia than she had solved?

Even so for now they had a series of flesh structures to obliterate. The sight of watching those hive clusters be consumed in a pillar of flame as the men fired incendiary rounds into their midsts. Soon enough they were all ashes and the creep began to recede.

'Well, that's that.' said Raynor. 'Figure we ought to call it a day?'

She wanted to, but she had a job to do. 'No,' said Serena, 'not yet. Gui is this where the Confederate outpost was located?'

'No,' said Gui, 'it was a little way to the north. See over there.'

Serena looked and saw a vague shape on the horizon. 'Right, we'll head over there and check it out. Lock and load people, we're not out of the woods just yet.'

The troops moved forward together towards the command center, and as they drew closer, it began to look wrong. Many fleshy tendrils were running throughout its metal frame, which seemed to have partially collapsed in on itself. Vast pulsing fleshy growths could be seen all over it.

'What the hell did they do to that Command Center?!' asked Fredrick.

'Whatever it is, it ain't natural.' said Raynor. 'Burn it, boys.'

A soldier raised his gun and opened fire before Serena slammed it down. She had to leave the Confederacy something about this, and they would probably want to study it. 'Belay that order! Take up defensive positions around it! Scan for hostiles but do not destroy the building, I repeat, do not destroy the building.'

'Are you kidding?' asked Raynor. 'That thing… it might be dangerous.'

'Organic material fusing with neo steel?' asked Serena. 'That is the sort of thing which could be worth scientific research. The Confederates will probably want to take a look anyway.'

'That factory could be dangerous.' said Raynor. 'For all we know it could be creating the things we've been fighting all this time. We can't just let it be.'

'…No,' said Serena, 'you are right. That is why we are going inside.'

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Okay so here we have the latest chapter. Originally I was going to entitle this Backwater Station part 2. However, I decided that since Backwater Station was secured last mission, we're going to have it be named something else. The thing about the Backwater Station mission is that a lot of things of import happen in it. The bond between the Magistrate and Raynor deepens, the Overmind's ultimate plan is hinted at. And the Confederacy sets the stage for it becoming the primary antagonist.

Also, did Serena just figure out the plot?

Now some of you may have noticed that I am giving the zerg truly massive casualties compared to the terrans. Some might say this defies belief. I would argue that if would defy belief for the zerg not to take massive casualties, and to give you an idea of why I will bring up World War 1.

In World War 1 whole armies were killed almost to a man because they had to assault positions guarded by machine guns and men with rifles which could only fire one bullet at a time. A common strategy was to unleash a massive artillery bombardment on the enemy position to soften it up, then launch a charge.

Okay, imagine that. Then imagine that every single soldier on the opposite trench has a fully automatic gauss rifle which reduces sentient creatures to bloody chunks and almost never has to be reloaded. Imagine that you have no artillery to support you. Then further imagine that you do not have a rifle to shoot back with.

Now you have an idea of what it's like to be a zergling.


	11. The Ruination of Flesh

**Chapter Eleven: The Ruination of Flesh**

 _What we saw inside that Infested Command Center never should have been. At first, it was real casual; we thought we'd seen the worst. We hadn't by a long shot, and we realized it soon enough. There are things which can happen which are abominations plain and simple. Nothing, no speeches or grand plans can justify their existence._

 _We saw a lot of those that day._

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I**

* * *

The doors of the semi-organic Command Center loomed over them as Raynor worked to hotwire the entrance codes. Serena waited, gun in her hand, feeling very tense. She did not like the look of the place in the slightest, but she did not want to back out now. Something told her that what was inside was very important.

'How is it coming, Jim?' she asked.

'Fine, fine,' said Raynor, 'you know hotwiring a state of the art facility isn't anywhere near as easy as it sounds. Especially since this place was black ops.'

'How do you know it's black ops?' asked Michael.

'The system is custom.' said Raynor. 'Whenever you have a custom security system it automatically means that someone thought what was inside was important enough to guard real tight. The Confederates are a bunch of cheapskates on equipment for their military though. I know because I used to be in it.

'So I figure this must have been something real important.'

'If this place is top secret we shouldn't enter it.' said Emily 'We should consult General Duke.'

'If General Duke wanted to be consulted he should have shown up.' said Serena, turning off the safety on her gun. 'Besides the situation has changed since this place was built. There might be survivors in there, and if there are their rescue won't wait.'

'Ma'am I must inform you,' said Emily, 'that the contents of this facility may be of a highly sensitive nature. It would be inappropriate to bring an entire company inside.'

'Fine, whatever,' said Serena, 'I could inform you that I'm part of the Old Families, and I'll do as I please, but I'll humor you. The away team will consist of Gui Montag, you, myself, and Marshall Raynor if he doesn't get that door open in the next ten seconds.'

Raynor paused as he heard that. For about ten seconds. 'I have an idea. Everyone step back.'

They obeyed, and Raynor ran over to his vulture, picking up a rifle and drawing it up. Making his way over, he loaded something into it, aimed for a moment and fired. There was a sound of air being released, and then the door exploded inwards. Raynor smiled. 'Grenade launcher, I swear every gauss rifle should have one.'

'Sir,' said Emily, 'you are aware you just damaged Confederate property.'

'Look,' said Raynor, 'we had to get the door opened somehow. And if there are survivors I'll bet they won't blame us.'

'Look at the door.' said Serena.

They did look. The hole in the wall was little by little growing tendrils which seemed to be repairing the damage with a chitinous substance. Serena looked at it. 'This is amazing, can you imagine if we could reverse engineer this? Vehicles and buildings which repair themselves, weapons which never need maintenance!'

'Can we focus?' said Raynor.

'Excuse me,' said Michael, 'Magistrate, with your permission I'd like to accompany you.'

'Sure, grab a gun.' said Serena.

'Magistrate…' said Emily.

'However, I reserve the right to tell you not to publish what we find inside.' said Serena in irritation. 'Now can we go before the door fixes itself and we have to waste another grenade?'

She led onwards, scanning the interior of the Command Center as she entered the front hall. It was very dark, and the only illumination came from the hole in the door Raynor had blown and a flickering light above which soon died. As they filed in one by one, scanning their surroundings, Serena thought she heard the sound of dripping.

'Activate the flashlights on your weapons people.' said Serena, while activating the flashlights on her weapon, and her suit. Then on a whim, she activating a recording cam. The rays of light illuminated a hallway which was laced with the same tendrils as the outside. They were particularly thick around the water pipes. There was an eerie feeling around them, and Serena felt as though

'I really wish I'd taken those lessons on learning to use a marine suit.' said Michael.

'Alpha Squadron protocol clearly states that one should be prepared for the worst.' said Emily. 'You'll know better next time, I'm sure.'

'You know there are less complex ways to say I told you so.' muttered Liberty.

'Calabas,' said Raynor, 'I don't mean to tell you how to command but why are we sending our whole command staff on this mission while everyone else stays behind?'

'Have you ever seen Star Trek?' asked Serena.

'Star what?' asked Raynor.

'Old Earth TV show.' said Serena. 'This kind of thing happened all the time on it.'

'Oh really?' asked Raynor. 'Well I hate to tell you this, man, but this ain't a TV show. We've got no guarantee that we're all going to make it out of this alive.'

'Well actually not everyone always made it out alive.' said Serena. 'Usually you had the core group, and then one extra person whose job it was to get brutally murdered just to show that the main characters were in danger.'

'And who fits that role exactly?' asked Raynor.

'Well Raynor you and Gui have been around for a while, so neither of you.' said Serena. 'I'm the stalwart commander leading the expedition, so naturally, I'll survive and probably get my shirt ripped off or something. Emily has kind of been foreshadowed, so she's probably going to make it.

'Sorry Liberty, you're gonna die.'

'Thanks for the vote of confidence.' said Liberty.

They came to three doors: one leading to the left, the other to the right, and one leading inwards. Serena checked the console and found it was on the fritz. 'Alright does anyone have any advice on which way?'

'Forward.' said Emily.

'She's right.' said Gui.

'Why forward?' asked Serena.

'Command Centers these days are all built on a standard model.' said Emily. 'Left and right will lead into the factory sections of the building and the dormitories for the less important members of the crew. Forward will lead to the center, which connects to every part of the complex. Once we get there, we can probably activate the emergency power.'

'Right, okay,' said Serena 'everyone step back. Raynor, blast it.'

They all backed away from the door and Raynor raised his rifle. Firing a grenade it hit the door. It exploded inwards. Stepping over the remnants of the door, Raynor moved in followed by the rest of them, scanning their surroundings.

'Jesus Christ…' said Raynor.

Serena felt her lips going dry. All around them were eggs lying down, pulsing visibly around them. Cocoons could also be seen hanging from the ceiling like mummies. Some of them looked vaguely human, yet they could not be. They were too rough and misshapen to be human. The tendrils were even thicker here, as well, and were eating into the walls.

'I vote we get the hell out of here.' said Raynor. 'Now.'

Gui grabbed a switch and hauled it down. Instantly the room was veiled in red light as was the hall behind them. 'That got some of the power back on. We could probably open the doors now.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'okay Raynor set up some localized charged in this room.' She saw the lift and hit a button. It came down, and there was a ding as the door opened. 'There might still be some survivors. My command office has a computer system which allows me to see all over the facility. So there is probably one here.

'We'll use that to check for anyone else.'

'I don't like this, man.' said Raynor 'No way anyone is still alive in here.'

'Most of the doors are intact.' said Michael Liberty. 'Someone might be hiding in a closet or something.'

'Fine,' said Raynor, unslinging his pack.

 **'** **LIVE FOR THE SWARM!'**

The cry, human, yet distorted into something horrible beyond measure came. Serena whirled around to see a shambling monster coming toward them from the way they had just come. It was like a human, yet tendrils were coming from it's back, and it was pulsing green. The eyes were pure black, like a zerglings. This wasn't human.

Raising her gun, she opened fire before she thought about what she was doing. The impaler rounds tore through him as he shambled forward, and yet he kept on coming, despite parts of his body being blown off. Gui opened up with a burst of flame that consumed what remained.

Yet there was an ungodly chattering and more of the things poured through the doors on either side. They opened fire en masse, and the creatures were torn to bits by their combined might. Then other doors in the room opened and zerg rushed in.

'Into the elevator!' said Raynor, shooting down a zergling. 'Into the elevator quick!'

They fled, crowding in which Gui last of all, spewing flames into the midsts of their attackers. The door closed and he stopped. The monsters were now up against the wall, smashing at the door with cries of rage.

 **'** **SACRIFICE ME!'**

Gradually the elevator raised itself upwards, and the humanoid things grew more and more distant. As they were pulled upwards, however, one of them began to inflate like a balloon. Then, just as they came above, there an explosion beneath them. The elevator shook, and Serena looked down to the shaft below. Acid was staining the walls, and if the elevator had not been magnetic, they would have been falling down to where even now the things were filling the inside of the passage.

'What the hell are those things?' asked Serena. 'Were… were those human once?'

'It… it might be some kind of genetically engineered clone thing.' said Michael.

'Even the Confederacy wouldn't be that sick.' said Gui. 'We should get out.'

'How?' asked Raynor. 'The only way out is on the ground floor.'

'That isn't true.' said Emily. 'Command Centers are all equipped with an atrium. A sort of green house where they can grow food in case of hard times. Some people use them as gardens, but that isn't the point.'

'There are windows.' realized Serena. 'We can break out through the windows.'

'There are armored shutters over them, though.' said Gui. 'Last I saw from outside they were closed.'

'We can blow them open.' said Serena.

'Not an option.' said Raynor, peering down. 'Those things are climbing after us. We need to get rid of them.'

The doors opened, and they emerged, scanning frantically for any sign of the zerg. Raynor unslung his pack, activated the explosives within on a thirty-second timer and tossed it into the elevator, before hitting the down button.

'Clear the door!' he said. 'Clear the door!'

They all backed away as the elevator lowered itself down. Then there was the roar of an explosion from below and fire swept up to throw the doors from their tracks.

'Well there goes any hope of blowing off the shutters.' said Gui. 'What now?'

'The command console is in the command office.' said Serena. 'We can head there, get an idea of what we're up against and check for any survivors.'

'There are no survivors.' said Gui. 'Everyone here is dead. I know it.'

'There were before.' said Emily.

'Yes,' said Gui, 'but look at this place. The Flannum Installation was nothing like this.'

'What do you mean by that?' asked Raynor.

'Nothing,' said Gui, 'let's focus.'

'You know something don't you?' asked Raynor.

'Drop it, Jim.' said Serena.

They made their way through the Command Center, checking their corners as they did so. It was all familiar to Serena, for she had a Command Center just like it. That was what made it disturbing, for she knew that the infestation could have happened to her. Could happen to anyone. In another life, in another place, one of those monstrosities could have been her.

Finding the command office, they opened the door, and Serena entered. It was utterly dark; the infestation had destroyed even the emergency lighting. There was a low sound of breathing, pained and horrible. Focusing her lights on its source, she saw someone she knew.

He was sealed to a wall by many tendrils. His face had begun to mutate; his blonde hair was beginning to turn white. His eyes were bloodshot, and his mouth was half mandible. His flesh had become mottled, and yet he looked at her with vague recognition, yet there was something predatory in it.

'Idlen…' she said, mouth dry and feeling sick.

The gaze of a predator dimmed and it became one of terror. He strove to speak, desperately trying to say something. 'Kill…. me…'

Serena opened fire. She fired her gauss rifle into him, tearing through his once handsome features until there was nothing left of him. Nothing left at all. This could have been her. She felt herself almost throwing up; her stomach was churning. By sheer force of will, she forced it down and made her way to find the command console.

It was covered in tendrils, but it alone was still operating. Typing through it, she found the commands to open the shutters. There was a sound of grinding, strained, and she made her way out of the room. She felt as though she ought to start trying to be decent, but at the same time, she had to remain in command.

'Did you know that guy?' asked Raynor.

'He was the head of the Confederate garrison.' said Serena. 'Their own garrison is getting wiped out, and Duke hasn't even done anything to stop it.'

'Ma'am I must inform you that-' began Emily.

'Shut up.' said Serena. 'Just shut up. You were right Raynor. We're going to get out of here and then we're going to burn this place to the ground. We're going to burn these… things hive clusters, and then we're going to burn their hive mind.

'These things are an abomination. They need to be erased from the universe.'

They made their way to the greenhouse in silence and found it filled with creep. Fleshy tendrils were everywhere, and the armored shutter had broken while crashing into the fleshy walls. One of the windows, fortunately, was on ground level.

Serena lowered her gun and opened fire on it. She poured impaler rounds into it, and after a few moments of sustained fire, it shattered. Making her way up to it, she found the window looked over the gradual slope of the Command Center. Her forces were still waiting for her, and she turned to the others.

'Move,' she said. 'I'll go last.'

'I oughtta-' began Raynor.

'Go!' said Serena.

One by one they filed out, and last of all came Serena. Every moment she was afraid that something would come out around the corner. At last the last of them were down, and she began to scale down. Scaling down to the base of the Command Center was a lengthy process, and several times Serena was afraid someone would slip and fall. Yet they managed it and at last made their way up to their troops.

'Open fire.' said Serena 'Set explosives and blow this… thing to hell.'

Explosives were set up against the base of the building while incendiary rounds were fired repeatedly into its structure. The explosives were activated, and many of the walls caved in. Yet still, it continued to stand. Flames billowed upwards to consume it, and its ceiling collapsed yet still it wasn't enough. The fuel in the landing gear ignited, and it exploded in an onslaught of fire which left only a broken up foundation and a windswept plateau, purged of the zerg.

Serena could hardly believe what she had seen. It… if hell had ever existed, it was within that place. And she had recorded it all. Now she knew exactly what she would do with it. After a moment she turned to Raynor. 'Raynor, I want you to ensure Liberty's protection. Make sure he gets his story out. Gui, keep all your funds, I don't even care anymore. Lieutenant Swallow…'

'Ma'am, I am currently off duty.'

'I don't care.' said Serena. 'I need to talk to you about what happened on Chau Sara.'

'I don't know anything about that.' said Emily, looking away.

'Well you had better start knowing!' said Serena. 'Because people are dying here and I need every edge I can get. You will accompany me to our primary base camp, and you will tell me everything you know.'

'I will have to consult with my Commanding Officer-' began Emily.

'I wasn't asking.' said Serena, motioning to two militia. 'I've had all I can take of this secrecy crap. Take her into custody; it's a matter of colonial security.'

'Now hold on a second.' said Michael. 'She hasn't done anything.'

'Exactly,' said Serena, 'she hasn't done anything!'

The militia moved on either side of her. Emily dropped her gun and looked up. 'Ma'am I must inform you that this may be considered kidnapping.'

'I'm a member of the Old Families.' said Serena. 'We've done far worse to keep our power intact. As it is, I'm taking you in for questioning. Take her to our primary base camp and put her in a cell. I'll be along shortly.'

She and the militia made their way back to Backwater Station, and there she read over the reports there. Eventually, when the sun of the third day was setting, she called up Raynor. 'Raynor, I've been reading through the documentation. The mines in this region have been almost spent. I think I'd like to move this base east to another area. Do know of any defensible mineral locations?'

'Well,' said Raynor, 'there are a couple of areas the Confederates abandoned after the critters got here. I'll make the arrangements.'

Then the Norad II emerged from the sky, like a gigantic monster from the clouds. It's searchlights scanned over the landscape until it found them. Dropships shot down from the vessel and landed. White-clad Alpha Squadron troops streamed out of them, with Goliath walkers as well.

The militia quickly raised their guns as well, and a standoff ensued. At their head came General Duke himself, clad in a heavy marine suit. 'Marshall Raynor, by destroying a vital Confederate Installation, you and your men have broken standing colonial law! As of right now, you're all under arrest. I suggest you throw down your weapons and come peaceably.'

'Are you out of your mind?!' asked Raynor. 'If we hadn't burned that damn factory this entire colony could have been overrun. Maybe if you hadn't taken your sweet time in getting here!'

'Now I asked you nice the first time boy,' said Duke with a smile. 'I didn't come here to talk with you. Now throw down them weapons.'

'Do it Raynor.' said Serena. 'We can't fight Alpha Squadron and the zerg.'

Raynor paused. Then he drew out a set of keys and tossed it to Michael. 'Liberty, take care of my bike will ya?'

One by one the militia tossed their weapons to the ground. Alpha Squadron descended and cuffed each of them in turn. Raynor's bike was impounded, and he was put in handcuffs. As he came to Duke, he looked at the man in disgust. 'Guess you wouldn't be a Confederate if you weren't a complete pain in the ass.'

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Well, this was adaptation expansion if ever there was one. I guess I figured I ought to establish the horrors of infested terrans firsthand. Also, Idlen is dead. I wasn't planning on it initially, but it seemed a logical way to establish that the devastation wrought by the zerg is not limited merely to the colonists.

Enjoy.


	12. Desperate Alliance

**Chapter Twelve: Desperate Alliance**

 _No one expected them to last long on Mar Sara. No one expected anyone to get off-world alive. Hell, no one expected it to even hit the papers. Things don't always work out like we expect though. The battle of Mar Sara is a major example of that principle in action._

 _The fact that it happened at all is a sort of miracle._

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I**

* * *

Emily Swallow was sitting inside a blank metal room with a one-way mirror. She'd taken a number of bruises while being escorted by the militia. It hadn't been intentional, but it happened. Especially when a heavily armored marine escorted a squishy human anywhere. The situation was almost an exact mirror to something which with Liberty earlier. With her removing him by force from General Duke's presence for asking too many questions. Now she had no idea where Liberty was.

So why was she here?

She was here because a member of the Old Families had ordered it. The Colonial Magistrate wanted her to talk about things which she was not allowed to talk about. Shifting uneasily, she was almost relieved when the door opened. Serena entered the room. She was carrying a file and she put it down on the table in front of her.

Sitting down, Serena opened the file and set down a series of pictures onto the table. One was of a long snake-like creature flying across the air in the wastes. Another was of a creep colony which had sunken in on itself. A third was of a volcano like structure and many more. Serena showed her each one in turn.

'I need you to tell me about these strains of zerg.' said Serena. 'We haven't seen anything like them yet. Ever since Idlen died the Confederates have stopped telling us things.'

'I don't know what you expect.' said Emily.

'You were on Chau Sara.' said Serena. 'Your company acted as a frontal assault unit. You have repeated experience with attacking these creatures.'

'Even if I did,' said Emily, 'I would not be able to talk about it. The xenomorphs are a matter of national security. The Confederacy has been controlling information on them-'

'I'm fighting a war here, Emily.' said Serena. 'And I am about to launch an assault on the enemy's main stronghold. I have been mobilizing my troops, I've gotten scouting reports on everything. But I've been receiving reports of new strains of zerg appearing. I need to know what they are capable of to create a strategy for defeating them.

'And I think you know what they are.'

'I'm not allowed to talk about it!' said Emily. 'Confederate High Command has specifically ordered me not to discuss it! Failure to comply with the order will result in immediate termination.' She was falling back on her resocialization now.

'Confederate High Command has ordered a lot of things.' said Serena. 'They ordered hostile takeovers of many private businesses and lands. That sparked the Guild Wars. They ordered the assassination of the Mengsk dynasty to keep their power intact. When that didn't work the ordered a nuclear bombardment of Korhal. That killed almost everyone on the planet.

'Now they have ordered the arrest of my chief Lieutenant, James Raynor. And for what? For doing what they should have done hours earlier.'

'Arrest?' asked Emily. 'For what?'

'Destroying a vital Confederate Installation, apparently.' said Serena. 'You saw what that place was like. It's continued existence was a threat to this colony.'

'I'm certain that Confederate High Command has reasons.' said Emily, not feeling it at all.

Serena was unimpressed. 'Do you know what has happened since Raynor was arrested?' she asked. 'Sixteen outland stations have reported sightings of the alien invaders identified as zerg. The Confederates have arrested the core of my militia forces and continue to avoid action against the zerg.

'I have been unable to find any source of military relief. And my governments most elite squadron is hovering overhead right now.'

'But-' began Emily.

'People are dying!' said Serena. 'Good people, bad people, men, woman, and children! I can stop it. If this assault works I will have annihilated the zerg's primary hive cluster on Mar Sara. If it doesn't we will be left defenseless to the zerg's counterattack.

'Emily, I realize that by telling me anything you will be breaking the laws of the Confederacy. I realize that you don't like that, you were programmed not to.

'However, right now I need you to tell me everything you know because it is the right thing to do.'

Emily remained silent for a very long time. Before Chau Sara she never would have even considered this, she'd have given her ID, name, and age. Yet now after everything that had happened she could not help been that help was not coming. Her mind turned to the conversation with Sarah Kerrigan, how she had been able to read her like a book.

Confederate High Command wasn't thinking clearly. These colonists needed all the help they could get. History would vindicate her actions. 'Alright, I'll tell you everything I know about the zerg.'

And she did tell her everything. It poured out from her, tactical details, what she faced, the sorts of strategies she had observed them see. She told her about Theodore and the men and how they hadn't wanted to keep going but she'd made them. How they had all died in a sudden zerg onslaught before help could arrive.

How the Cerberus Commander had sent her men to die to keep it quiet.

Serena stood there and listened. First, she was curious, then reserved. Eventually she became disgusted when she heard of Cerberus Squadron's suicidal orders. Finally, she just looked depressed. Emily did not say any specific names. 'One more thing.' said Serena. 'Did you have any further contact with a man named Samir Duran? After you evacuated the Flannum Installation?'

Emily looked at her. 'How do you know about all this?'

'I convinced a man who was there to tell me everything he knew.' said Serena. 'When you and he referenced the Flannum Installation it confirmed what he said.'

'No,' said Emily. 'I didn't see Samir Duran at all. My contact was with a Commander of Cerberus Squadron.' The man who had gotten her entire company killed, just to keep a secret.

'Did he say anything?' asked Serena. 'Anything to indicate what the purpose of the research was.'

'Everything was classified with him.' said Emily. 'I never even learned his name. Though… he said that the scientists felt that their research could help us. To defeat the xenomorphs before their influence could spread any further.'

'I see.' said Serena, her eyes narrowing. 'Thank you. You can go.'

'That's it?' asked Emily.

'Yes,' said Serena, 'I've learned what I need to. You can head back to Alpha Squadron at any time. If you remain silent about me detaining you, I will remain silent about what you just revealed. Understood?'

'Yes,' said Emily, standing up. She had just broken the laws of the Confederacy she was sworn to uphold.

'There is one other thing.' said Serena. 'When you return to the Norad II, I'd appreciate it if you talked to General Duke. Suggest to him that a direct intervention would prove to the Confederacy's benefit. I doubt it will work, but it is worth a shot. Good day.'

Then she walked out. What had Emily done?

* * *

Serena was almost certain now. The Confederacy had developed something which interfered with the zerg's hive mind. It was the most logical explanation for what she had seen so far. They halted the assault on Backwater Station. They wanted to see how long they could keep the creature's onslaught at bay with their device.

When Raynor and her had stormed in and killed everything in sight, it had disrupted the test. It had prevented them from getting an accurate reading on how long the effect had lasted. The infested command center had been the last straw. Serena had been interested to see it for herself. She'd thought of it a scientific opportunity. It had been only once she had seen the horrors inside which she had decided to destroy it.

She'd probably made some Confederate paper pusher furious. She'd blown up what appeared to be an ideal research opportunity. Which meant that the footage she had compiled from her suit might prove useful.

Sitting down by her computer she quickly composed an email:

 _To the esteemed General Edmund Duke of Alpha Squadron,_

 _First, let me say that I greatly admire your heroic actions in defense of the Confederacy of Man. You are a paragon of everything which our glorious government represents. Alpha Squadron is to be admired by all who would serve the Confederacy._

 _However, your recent arrest of James Raynor has proven extremely unfortunate. The leadership of the Colonial Militia has been compromised. The resulting vacuum might prove fatal to the defense of this colony. I appreciate that James Raynor did indeed violate Confederate regulations. However, please find enclosed the following footage. of what occurred within the Command Center in question._

 _While inconvenient to research, James Raynor's actions were an appropriate response. The Infested Command Center was judged to be a clear and present danger to the safety of this colony. As a result, I would ask you to see past the letter of the law and follow it's intent._

 _Sincerely yours,_

 _The Magistrate of Mar Sara,_

It might have been a bit on the side of flattery, but Serena wanted to make a good impression. She attached the data files to the mail and sent it. Then, because she felt spiteful. she found Liberty's email. She sent him footage of inside the Command Center as well. Then she went and focused on her work. Under her direction, one of the Evacuation Zones had been converted into a fortress. It now barred the only path across the river for miles. It was there that the zerg's assault would fall hardest. That was the place she needed to hold in a defensive action.

Yet she wasn't planning a defensive action. Instead, she was gathering her forces for a final strike. She only prayed it would work. As she worked she received a long range transmission from Tarsonis. On the screen appeared a black haired woman. Her face was stiff from the use of anti-wrinkle treatments.

'Mother,' said Serena, 'I wasn't expecting you to call me.' What did she want?

'Well I haven't seen you in months,' said Mother, 'what else should I do. I've heard all kinds of good things about you in the news. Michael Liberty's reports on your actions have made you a celebrity.'

'That is nice.' said Serena. 'I am a bit busy fighting off an alien invasion.'

'Well yes, obviously.' said Mother, looking rather condescending. 'I just thought I'd let you know that your uncle has noticed your success. I have convinced Arturro to give you a position as Magistrate of Agria. It's a much less dangerous assignment, and should be far more pleasant.'

'Well, that sounds… nice.' said Serena, taken aback despite herself. 'However, I will have to finish up here.'

'Yes, I suppose duty comes first and all that.' said Mother .'Oh, and Arturro has also agreed that if you do well in Agria he'll pay off your debts. I always felt you rushed into those.'

'Right,' said Serena, smiling despite herself. 'Mother, is there any word on why the Confederacy is avoiding action against the zerg on Mar Sara?'

'Well I don't know much about all that.' said Mother. 'But Arturro did mention that they were performing some long-range tests on Mar Sara. Thing is the experiment was happening here on Tarsonis. It might be some kind of communications array, but why would that be secret?'

'Right, of course.' said Serena. Then she saw a transmission from General Duke. 'Mother, I have a transmission from General Edmund Duke on this line. I have to take this, now.'

'Oh of course dear. Don't let me detain you.'

Serena switched to the transmission and she checked it. Duke appeared on the screen, looking in even more foul a mood than normal. 'I got your message Magistrate, and frankly, I don't care what you have to say about Confederate regulations. You damn fringe world yokels are all alike, don't know where your loyalties lie.'

Serena blinked. 'Well, you can go straight to hell then.'

'Y'all have a real good day now, y'hear.' said Duke, before shutting off the communications.

It was only then that Serena realized that she had forgotten to write her name at the bottom of the letter. And then she realized that Duke had no idea who was running Mar Sara. The colonists were so beneath him in his eyes that it wasn't even a concern who was leading them.

'He represents the Confederacy better than you thought, doesn't he?' came the question.

Serena tensed, realizing that she felt a sensation she had felt before only a few times. Whirling around in her swivel chair she opened fire with her pistol at the person behind her. They backflipped backward to avoid the shot. Serena arose as they raised hands in symbol of surrender. 'Don't move, ghost.'

'You've had some experience with us I see.' said the ghost, raising both hands. She was a beautiful, red-haired woman with her hair tied into a ponytail. She wore a normal vest and jeans. 'I'm not here to kill you.'

'Forgive me if I don't believe you.' said Serena, scanning over her. 'You aren't wearing standard gear. And the fact that you said anything at all tells me you aren't the brainwashed variety of professional murderer. You aren't with the Confederacy.

'You're Sons of Korhal aren't you? Mengsk's pet ghost.'

'Your quite intelligent aren't you.' said the ghost. 'I'm Sarah Kerrigan, and I'm not anyone's pet anything.'

'What do you want?' asked Serena.

'It's not what I want.' said Kerrigan. 'It's what my superior wants.'

'Arcturus Mengsk wants my entire family dead.' said Serena. 'I assume you're talking about him.'

'Mengsk hates the Old Families because of what they've done.' said Kerrigan 'You didn't have any part in that. Actually, he's impressed with how you've handled yourself. Believe it or not, we find the situation down here as unfortunate as you do.

'He wants to speak with you.' She drew out of her clothes a holo transmitter which she set down. Pressing a button, Arcturus Mengsk appeared before them in hologram form.

He was clad in a black leather trenchcoat and had an impressive build. His skin was dark tan and his hair pure black. His eyes were hard and weary, and he regarded her with a polite nod. 'Good day, Magistrate. My name is Arcturus Mengsk and I represent the Sons of Korhal. You're familiar with the Confederate propaganda surrounding my group. But your reputation suggests you'll see past it.'

'What are you doing out here, Mengsk?' asked Serena.

Mengsk smiled. 'It's never been our policy to operate in any one place for long, but these… zerg, don't look like their going to wait.' He let out a bitter laugh. 'I'd like to make you an offer Magistrate. I'd like to help you out by sending down a number of transports to your colony and evacuate any survivors.'

'That won't be necessary.' said Serena. 'I'm about to launch an assault on the zerg hives.'

'A daring stratagem.' said Mengsk 'Yet should it fail your colonists will likely be left defenseless. It would be for the best if you had some kind of insurance.'

Serena remained silent. 'Alright, I take your point. What's the catch?'

'You know, of course, that my organization operates outside the bounds of Confederate law. That's why they spread their lies and misinformation. If you choose to accept our help,' said Arcturus, 'you'll be branded as an outlaw too. But, it's a chance to save those people.'

Serena couldn't answer. It was insurance, plain and simple. If she succeeded she would have cast aside all the gains she might have made for an existence as a criminal. Yet if she failed she might have saved what was left of her colony. She… she knew she should say no.

After all, if the strategy failed she could evacuate to Tarsonis. She could go down to Agria and mobilize that place to resist an invasion. She could do a lot of things. All she had to do was abandon the colonists to their fate after her leadership led them to ruin.

She'd promised she'd never abandon them. 'Alright Mengsk,' she said, 'send your dropships.' Then she paused. 'Also if you find any far-flung zerg hives I'd appreciate if you could launch an assault on one of them. I don't want the zerg to recover.'

Mengsk smiled for the first time since she had seen him. 'Time to make a stand, Magistrate.' The hologram cut out, then the emitter sparked and burned itself up.

Sarah Kerrigan was gone.

She sat back down in her chair, clasped her hands before her and stared at them. When Hector arrived Serena had changed position. She was staring at a computer screen filled with reports of carnage and battle. She felt dead, for she knew that win or lose she had doomed her career for the sake of a just in case. He stood before her and waited to be recognized but Serena said nothing.

Finally, he spoke: 'Alright, I've got the troops all ready. The com sat station is also online and we're scanning the wastes for any more zerg hives clusters. So far we haven't found any others.' He paused. 'What are your orders?'

Serena did not answer at first. She was thinking. Mulling over all that had taken place to bring her to this point. She wondered what she could have done differently. In her hand was the pistol she had fired before, now empty. She was turning over in her hands the bullets, biting her lip.

Finally, she spoke: 'The problem is that we know the Confederacy better than they think.'

Silence as Hector tried to figure out what she meant. 'You want to start making sense?'

'Some years ago, when I was sixteen,' said Serena. 'I arranged a shuttle to fly me to Korhal.'

Hector's eyes widened and he opened his mouth. 'That place is sealed off. People have been blown out of the sky for going there.'

'I had to see it for myself.' said Serena, shaking her head. 'When I was a little girl I once took a trip there with my Father and Mother. We stayed at a resort, and it was really great. It was beautiful and one moment stuck in my memory. The way the thousands of spires in Augustgrad glimmered in the sunlight. The way the forests and mountains looked from on high. When I came back it was all just wasteland and ashes.

'There are still survivors you know. The Sons of Korhal organized them and got them all together, and allowed them to survive against all odds. Of course, no one ever leaves Korhal anymore, and no one reports on it either. So people have forgotten. But they haven't forgiven by a long shot.

'The atrocity was so terrible that what was about to become mass rebellion petered out in moments. No one dared defy the Confederacy after that. Uf they're willing to nuke the jewel of their colonies into ashes what would they do to one that was less important?'

For a moment Hector was silent. 'I know what you mean.' He said at last. 'I was a teenaged hothead at the time, rearing for a fight. We were all planning revolution with what was going on on Korhal and then… we stopped. We were afraid, I guess. I never figured they'd go that far.'

'But after that nothing was the same, was it?' asked Serena, looking up. 'People obeyed, let us walk all over them like before the Guild Wars, but we couldn't inspire. Only coerce. The Sons of Korhal have been gaining more and more influence in the outer regions for years. Hell, even in some of the core worlds. Their fanatics to a man. People who support the Confederacy do it for a paycheck at best. They wouldn't care if it fell, so long as their livelihood remained intact.'

'My uncle, the head of the Calabas family, he was always trying to improve our propaganda. He kept saying that they had to make people think we were right, think we had their best interests at heart. But he didn't want to go the extra mile and actually help or improve ourselves.

'People are cattle to be herded and exploited to them, then slaughtered when the time came. And people realized it.'

Hector sighed. 'Look, I'm sure both of us have other stuff we could be doing, so can we cut the foreplay. What are you getting at Serena?'

'Well, after Korhal my uncle gave up.' said Serena, loading the gun. 'He started spending his money in secretive projects. Black ops you know, let not the left hand know what the right hand was doing. He kept on meeting with this guy named Samir Duran, way too young for his rank, with a fluid voice. I eavesdropped on one of their conversations. My uncle ordered the staff of an entire research facility terminated. Because they were no longer useful.

'He really didn't want people to find out what he was up to.'

'I'm guessing you have an idea of what it was.' noted Hector, looking suspicious.

'Just recently I… had this sensation.' Serena admitted. 'All of a sudden everything just kind of stopped in perfect clarity. I had a feeling as though I could see everything. A long series of atrocities stretching back since the beginning of the Confederacy. Since before Doran Routhe launched his expedition all those years ago.

'And then suddenly I thought I saw everything that was going to happen.'

'So you know what the Confederacy is going to do?' guessed Hector.

Serena shook her head. 'No. I'm not a prophet. But with two hostile alien species, someone is going to start an open rebellion. And when they do civil war will break out. In the ensuing chaos, the Confederacy will have a war on three fronts. So all that someone has to do is ride the wave and then…'

She halted, unable if not unwilling to say what she thought might happen next. It was unknowable, and yet terrible. The death, the destruction which could ensue from all this… it was unspeakable. She said nothing, she couldn't bear to.

She had fallen silent, eyes looking down at the floor.

'Then what?' asked Hector.

'The hammer falls.' said Serena as she cocked her gun and arose from her seat. 'Let's go. We attack at dawn.'

The bridge of the Norad II looked down upon the zerg infested planet of Chau Sara. All it would take was one order, one attack and Duke could wipe the zerg of Mar Sara real easy. But orders were orders, and Duke hadn't gotten as far as he had by ignoring them. The wraith patrols were still in orbit, killing anything which tried to leave the planet. A few Overlords had tried to slip away and been blown to bits. A couple of smugglers vessels were forced to turn back. Duke knew he ought to shoot them down. But even he drew the line at blasting vessels filled with scared woman and children.

'Sir,' said an ensign. 'Lieutenant Swallow has made contact. She's in the primary refugee camp requesting pickup.'

'Send a dropship.' said Duke. 'And make sure nobody else hitches a ride, this ain't a commute bus.' He'd already had to send back several unauthorized civilians. Desperate people who had slipped into the fleet. He didn't want to have to do that again. Still, something wasn't right. He could feel something happening, he wasn't sure what. He pressed a button to open communication. 'Lieutenant Kennedy, what is the reading on your long-range scout ships?'

'This is Kennedy sir,' said Jack Kennedy over the com, 'we've got signs of something big heading towards us right now. Well actually, several big things heading towards us. Weird warp signature. It might be them, ETA 72 hours.'

Them. The protoss. Reptiles, psionic monsters or whatever they were, Confederate policy was clear. They were not to engage them over the fringe worlds until they knew more. And Duke didn't disagree. He'd seen the footage of Chau Sara, the broken and lava-soaked landscaped. A planet once filled with life turned into a vision of hell itself overnight. And then he'd positioned Norad II between them and Mar Sara, just before he was sent to blockade it. He hadn't known why he'd done it, he sure as hell didn't think he had a chance.

Maybe he just felt like going out in a blaze of glory. Whatever it was, though, the protoss had turned back. And that had been that. Now here he was helping the zerg win. A lot of folks were gonna get killed down there. He'd done his fair share of ruthless deeds, but this whole situation rubbed him the wrong way. He had to do something about all this.

'Step up the evacuation.' said Duke. 'Prioritize manpower over material. If they can't bring something up quick, blow it up or abandon it. I don't want any of our boys down there when they arrive.'

'Sir,' said Kennedy, 'what about the infestation? If you'll let me launch an air strike on some of the outlying hives, I could give the yokels a chance.'

'Follow your orders, boy!' snapped Duke. 'Didn't they teach you anything in flight school?'

'Yes sir.' said Kennedy.

That kind of backtalk had become all too common as the blockade had gone on. Alpha Squadron wanted to fight their enemies, not sit around and let them win. The boys didn't like this, and neither did Duke. But it didn't matter anymore. Orders were orders and either way the protoss were coming. Everyone on that planet was as good as dead. It was too late to get involved now. Too late to evacuate the population. Too late. Duke crushed his conscience and went back to his office to go get a drink.

'What in sam hell are the high command thinking?' he muttered as he uncorked the bottle.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

I choose to extend this chapter because it has a lot of content. This is where Arcturus Mengsk is introduced. Where the Magistrate makes their critical choice that leads to the events in the story. Where Duke is truly established as the complete jerkass he is. The events of Desperate Alliance are multilayered.

Which is why I will be making them last at least two chapters. Possibly more.

On a separate note, I've always imagined Duke as a moderately bad person. Someone for whom the phrase 'just following orders' is holy scripture. He isn't a good man by any means, but he lacks the malice to be truly evil. That is how I interpret him anyway.


	13. The Onslaught

**Chapter Thirteen: The Onslaught**

 _The battle for Mar Sara is interesting because it didn't need to happen. Magistrate Calabas had been given every opportunity to pack it in and leave. If she had no one would have questioned her on it. Neither was it very important in a strategic sense. The Mar Sarans were fighting an offshoot of the Chau Sara broods. The loss of Mar Sara for the zerg would probably be of little account._

 _And yet it was massively important. A bunch of fringe yokels who we core world people mock and make fun of grabbed their outdated marine armor and went into battle. They did it under the leadership of a disgraced member of the Old Families. They fought an enemy the Squadrons were avoiding. The did it for the sake of their families, their homes, and their planet._

 _Try telling them it was no big deal. I dare you._

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I**

* * *

When Serena and Hector arrived at the evacuation zone they found it already under attack by the zerg. A barricade had been established in front of the bunkers and the zerg were tearing at it, even as they were shot down. The sound of gauss fire was audible and many hundreds of the zerg were lying dead on the outskirts. Many thousands more were coming towards them in a tide. Serena turned off the safety on her gun.

'Militia move in and defend the evacuation zone.' she said 'Hector, take charge of the eastern entrance, I'll take the west.'

Then coming to the top of the barricade she opened fire at the coming swarms. Several zerglings died before the rest of the militia came up to assist. As the guns increased their intensity the assaulting zerglings were shot down. Yet soon more came and with them were hydralisks. Several militia were shot dead. Serena felt a spine glance off her shoulder pad as she gunned down a hydralisk. A roar could be heard as mutalisks swarmed in, only to be obliterated by a barrage of missiles sent from the ground.

Yet more mutalisks came to replace them. Soon the missile turrets began to take hits as they unleashed shot after shot into the coming tide. Serena opened a communication. 'SCV teams, shore up those missile turrets! They must not fall!'

The SCV crews rushed to begin work at once. Several of them were cut to pieces by mutalisk projectiles. But they continued to work and the missile turrets which had been erected held out.

Serena breathed out as a lull came in the attacks. 'Idlen certainly did his work well.'

As the zerg assault renewed Serena realized that they could hold this place for days. even weeks. And that was assuming that the zerg did not exhaust their numbers. Yet she knew there was a hatchery over the river, one that was churning out more zerg even as they spoke.

There was more than one way to cross the river. And the zerg might establish colonies elsewhere. If that happened the war might go on and on until the militia of Mar Sara were completely exhausted. No, short of evacuation an offensive was the only option.

Several hours passed as the tides of zerg continued in a never-ending swarm. As that happened, more and more militia arrived from other parts of the colony. They added their guns to the defense.

Thousands upon thousands of the zerg broke upon their defenses. Each time they were repulsed. Yet each time their numbers grew larger and larger. The barricade was reinforced and more men posted on it. Only to be torn up again and the sentinels killed or injured.

Finally, after still more hours of combat, the tide slackened.

Serena opened communication with Mesa Munroe. 'Mesa, what is the status of the zerg hives?'

'Our com scan crews indicate that the primary zerg hives are still heavily defended.' said Mesa. 'There are also many secondary hives set up throughout the highlands. Those are heavily guarded as well. I'm sending you a map now.'

Serena looked at the map.

'If we attack the nerve center the zerg will probably draw back their forces to protect it.' mused Hector.

'Then we'll have to eliminate the outlying colonies before we go in for the kill.' said Serena. 'Hector, I want you to cross the eastern bridge with your forces. Destroy the zerg colony on the highlands there. Once you've done that work your way west destroying everything you find. Press north onto the hills above there and finish off the zerg in that area.'

'What about you?' asked Hector.

'I'm going to annihilate the zerg hives to the northwest.' said Serena. 'Once we've destroyed the outlying colonies we'll meet up here, just south of the zerg hive clusters. From there we'll launch an all-out assault on the zerg.'

'Sounds simple.' said Hector. 'Kill everything on the outside, then kill everything on the inside.'

'That is the basic plan.' admitted Serena. 'Let's do this all at once.'

Clouds loomed over the battleground. Rumblings above seemed to foreshadow a terrible downpour. It seemed as though not a glimmer of sunlight could pierce through the clouds. There was an unnatural will behind those clouds, in the very air itself. Serena had felt a hint of that will when she entered the Infested Command Center. It was unknowable and alien in more ways than one. Somehow that was more terrible than what was happening before their very eyes.

The infantry column advanced across the bridge. Alpha Squadron had taken most of their most experienced troops. What was left were those who had not been on active duty, or who had been in training these past few months. Perhaps that was the reason they reacted slowly. No sooner had they reached the other side, hydralisks emerged from the earth on either side of them.

'Form up!' cried Serena as spines flew around her. 'Fan out an attack!'

They spread out, several of them falling in mere moments. By the time they had lowered their guns several more had died and zerglings were coming. Then there was an onslaught of gauss fire and the hydralisks were swept away. The zerglings too were torn to shreds.

'Well done,' said Serena, 'follow me, our strategy relies on speed!'

In the distance, nudged between a hill and a plateau they could see a zerg colony. Creep was reaching out in every direction and Serena led them towards it. 'Form a line ladies and gentlemen, concentrate your firepower! Stay in step and remember your training!'

They did. As soon as they drew near the colony hundreds of zerglings emerged and rushed them. These were mowed down en masse, even as more came round the bend and were shot in turn. Incendiary rounds were loaded and the colony burned to ashes. Moving forward they met yet still more resistance. This too was eradicated by their hand as they burned another colony to the ground. Around them, the creep was receding, yet the will which surrounded them did not abate.

It only deepened. Serena felt reluctant to continue. She should pull out, take a defensive position. She had destroyed a few colonies, but what was that? The whole of Alpha Squadron had not been able to stop the swarm, what could her ragtag militia do?

'Magistrate, are you alright?' asked a female member of the militia.

Murmurs of fear and unease spread throughout the men as Serena turned on them. 'Well done soldiers.' she motioned. 'There is one colony left on this plane.' She looked to it. 'It is known as a sunken colony. It is capable of tearing a man limb from limb with subterranean tentacles. When we attack it, it is very likely that some of us will die.

"However, it must be burned if Mar Sara is to be secured. Will you follow me into death?"

"…Yeah," said a man. 'we're with you.'

'We'll show those Confederate bastards how to fight zerg.' said the female. 'And we might just shame them into doing something.'

'We're with ya Magistrate.' said another.

Similar statements of affirmation came and Serena breathed out. How lucky she was to have the loyalty of such men. Then again she had earned it with her efforts thus far. 'I'm glad. Now form up into a line, we'll advance and attack all at once to minimize casualties!'

'Yes, sir!'

The line was formed and they advanced forward at a run. Soon enough they came within range of the colony. The tentacles lashed out from the ground, impaling three men near Serena. They screamed, before being torn apart. Guns were lowered and a blaze of flame could be seen as the barrage began. Three more men were torn apart, then another three and then the colony was destroyed.

'Zerg!' said the female militia. 'Coming from behind!'

'Turn and destroy them!' said Serena, leading by example.

A great tide of them was coming towards them en masse. Serena was the first to fire a shot, killing one of the zerglings as they came. The others also fired and the creatures died by the hundreds. Yet in they came, getting closer and closer, until some of the line were attacked. The female militiaman from before was bowled over and a zergling began to claw at her.

Serena remembered Martha and in a fury lowered her gun and blasted the creature. As it fell back she turned and blasted three more in short order. Several men were torn apart near her and blood spattered over the ground. She fired her rifle again and again until finally, the zerg stopped coming. What was she doing here? This was hopeless, and the enemy pressed them ever harder! They hadn't even started on the inner defenses and they had already taken losses!

No, this was only half their force. Hector would meet them here and with their combined strength they would destroy the hive. It seemed hopeless, but it was the only way to save Mar Sara. And Serena would save Mar Sara, no matter the cost. To herself, or to the men who volunteered to serve with her.

They owed her that much.

'Ma'am you saved my life.' said the female soldier.

'Yes, I did.' said Serena offering her a hand. 'What is your name?'

'Isabel, Ma'am.' said the soldier, taking it. 'You think we should pull out?'

'No,' said Serena, pulling her up, 'at the least, we can destroy their outlying bases.' She motioned to the west where cliffs rose in the distance. 'There is a route up to that plateau, a path leading up there that we must find. The enemy has established colonies up there as well, and it's our task to wipe them out!

'Let's move!'

They sped across the waists as quickly as could be managed. Several times zerg emerged from the ground and had to be gunned down. Yet overall there was very little to oppose them. Soon they found the path, narrow and leading in a perilous slope up to the side of the mountain. Serena felt a little dizzy looking at it.

'Those paths are narrow.' said Isabel 'If we get flanked we'll end up getting wiped out.'

'Yes, you're right.' said Serena 'Alright people I need twenty volunteers to stand at the base of this path and act as a rearguard. If the enemy does attack it's your job to make sure they don't flank us. To the last man necessary.'

Thirty men came forward and Serena chose from among them. When that was done they began the long climb up the path. It wound and turned suddenly, and Serena felt loose stones fall away beneath her feet. Once she couldn't help but look down at the sheer height which she was standing. Still, at the very least, they reached the top and came into view of the colonies in question.

At once they were set upon by zerglings who rushed at them. Serena gunned down several as her men filed up to form a battle line and gun down the rest. Yet then came the hydralisks, who shot their spines. A man near Serena had his armored punctured in many places and fell screaming from the top of the cliff. As the last of her forces reached the top the firefight only intensified. More and more hydralisks appeared from within a massive fleshy nest.

Below Serena could hear the sound of the rear guard's gauss rifle fire. She knew they were fighting at the base of the path. She only prayed that they would hold. Then paid her attention to firing her gun a bunch.

Finally, the hydralisks were all dead. The militia set about obliterating the colony. Yet even as they did so there was a cry and mutalisks swarmed down from above. Men were cut to pieces by their projectiles in the dozens in moments. Raising their guns the militia fired upwards en masse with no formation.

'Spread out!' cried Serena. 'Spread out!'

The mutalisks wheeled around, hurling their shots. But the looser formation lessened the effect and soon many of them were gunned down. Yet more came, and more after that, and still more. They came in small groups and soon the whole of their attack force had been destroyed. Yet many men had died in their attack.

'How many of these things are there?!' asked Isabel. 'We've killed thousands!'

'Focus!' said Serena. 'Set explosives on the hydralisks den, and wax that colony! Once we've done that we'll see how the rear guard fared.'

'Yes, ma'am.'

The work proceeded quickly. Serena listened for the sound of gunfire as explosives were set. After a few moments things were set and the militia backed away. The detenator was activated and colony and den went up in a great plume of fire. Smiling in satisfaction, Serena looked to her men. 'Alright people, we'll head down to meet with our rear guard. Be careful.'

'What about the bodies of… of the others?' asked Isabel.

'Leave the dead.' said Serena seriously. 'We'll see if we can give them proper burials later. Right now we have need of speed more than anything else.'

The climb down the cliff face was as nerve-wracking as the climb up, if not more so. It dawned on Serena how thin the way really was. One wrong step could send her tumbling down to join that guy who fell earlier. Once again, someone else had died whose fate just as easily could have been hers.

At last, they reached the base and found the rear guard five men shorter. Their bodies had been lined up neatly. Their living comrades saluted as they approached. In the distance, Serena could make out the zerg hive clusters. They marred the skyline with their ugly and bulbous forms. Floating things, Overlords Emily had called them, were flying too and fro in great numbers. Mutalisks were being mustered from surrounding areas. Yet they were far fewer in number than they had been before.

She smiled. The militia had made a dent in them after all. 'Report,' said Serena.

'We came under assault ma'am.' said one. 'But we held em off well enough. A couple of the boys though…'

'I see.' said Serena. 'Fall in. We'll head for the hive north of here and hold position just out of range. Until-'

'This is Prestor,' said Hector, 'we've annihilated the outlying zerg colonies to the east.'

'Perfect timing.' said Serena. 'Trace my signal and meet up with us. Be careful; we'll need your men to finish the assault.'

'Understood ma'am.' said Hector. 'We'll be right over.'

Right over was an understatement. By the time Hector arrived, it was getting dark. Darker even than it had been with the still unbroken clouds hanging overhead. It was for the best, however, for her men were exhausted. It gave them the opportunity for a rest, however watchful, was one she welcomed.

Then he came and his forces were far smaller than they had been, reduced nearly to half their original size. Serena looked in mute horror. She realized that brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers would not be returning home. Because of her. She had drafted them into this. Her own forces had lost nearly a quarter of their number as well.

Approaching Hector, she saw him salute.

'What happened?' asked Serena.

'We were ambushed.' said Hector. 'A lot of good people were lost. But we powered on through. And we killed a lot more zerg than we lost to them. A lot more.'

'You don't really get points for that anymore.' reflected Serena. 'Alright everyone form up. Prepare for an assault.'

'With respect, ma'am,' said Hector, 'my people need time to rest. We've just come a long way after a lot of fighting. We're tired and need at least an hour.'

'We don't have an hour.' said Serena. 'Every moment we wait will mean that the zerg's defenses will be that much stronger. We have to strike while the iron is hot!'

'You can strike it yourself then!' snapped a man. 'I've seen my brother, my best friend, and my cousin butchered in this little war of yours! You Confederate bastards can't keep doing this to us!'

'I am not the Confederacy!' roared Serena. 'You think I haven't tried to get Duke to do his job?! He's just sitting up there watching us die, mocking you 'fringe yokels'. The only thing we can do now is win! If we do that… that is enough.'

'Maybe we should pull back to a defensive location.' said Hector. 'It should be easy enough to hold the line now. The Confederates keep saying they're sending evac.'

Something pressed Serena to say yes. To pull back. To give up. It was almost a command in her mind, yet she retained herself. She straightened up. 'Is that what you believe Hector? That the Confederates would weaken our defenses and then evacuate us?

"No evacuation is coming! There is no path to survival for us save through victory! We stand or fall together in the dark places of the universe! If we don't take that hive now we will never get another chance! They will send wave after wave of zerg at us! They will spread their tendrils until everyone, every man women and child is dead or worse!

"We cannot let that happen! We must win!'

That got to them. They stirred themselves to readiness. They were exhausted, tired, worn out, wounded and beaten up. But they would go with her into the mouth of hell itself now. Not for her, but for those they were protecting. Not for the Confederacy, but for Mar Sara. They were heroes every one of them.

And Serena was the liar telling them no evacuation was coming. She felt sick. The sense of dread and despair pushed down on her, and she felt like the weight of a mountain was on her. She could hardly move. She was a monster, dragging these men from there homes in pursuit of victory. She could have simply defended static positions and left the planet to the zerg.

'Ma'am,' said Isabel, 'Confederate soldiers.'

Serena looked up and to her shock saw a large contingent of white-clad marines advancing toward them. They were not Alpha Squadron. Instead their armor was emblazoned with the symbol of the garrison corps. Gamma Squadron. They halted before them and saluted. Their leader and one other came forward, and their faceplate slid back to reveal a stubbled Asian man. He had black hair and tan skin.

'I'm Acting Lieutenant Yamanov.' he said. 'We're here on behalf of Lieutenant Idlen.'

'Idlen is dead.' said Serena. 'I… I saw him myself.'

'We know.' said Yamanov. 'Idlen want to help the people of this place. But Command kept telling us to do nothing. And we did nothing, until twenty hours ago we got orders to pull out in thirty standard hours.

"We figure we're supposed to provide security. So we're damn well going to.' He turned off the safety on his gun, as did the rest of his men. 'We're in. Just tell us where you want us.'

Cheers came from several of the militia and Serena smiled despite herself. 'Your assistance is appreciated, if late. Take up a position on the left flank. Isabel, get your people and form up in the center. Hector, you are on the right.' She turned to the hive which stood suddenly forlorn, looking far weaker than in her memory. Most of it was lodged between two cliff faces, while it's sunken colonies stretched out wide. 'We're going to swing inwards towards the main hatchery, like a door. Idren, you'll scale those cliffs and destroy-' She paused, realizing she missed him. 'Sorry, Yamanov you'll scale those cliffs and destroy anything you find. Once you've done that fire down from above on the hive and provide covering fire.

"Does everyone understand?'

They did and arrayed themselves in the formation they spoke of. Soon they were in formation nearly eight hundred strong. Against who knew how many thousand zerg. Once again they were all full strength. Yet doubts remained on them. The clouds seemed to scowl down on them, as the air itself rang with some manner of influence. Already murmurs of doubt were coming from the men.

'What if the zerg come at us from behind?' asked Hector.

He was right, or so Serena felt. The zerg were more numerous than one could count. This assault had been hopeless from the beginning. She should withdraw and set up defenses. Serena shook such thoughts off easily, for they felt almost foreign. This feeling was not rational, and she was beginning to think it wasn't natural.

'They won't.' said Serena. 'They're almost beaten, this is their last bastion. We've crushed their standing forces, now we only need to crush their lair and their power. Now men of Mar Sara, now men of the Confederacy! Advance! Destroy! Demolish! Go forth and let none stand before you!

'For Mar Sara!'

 **'FOR MAR SARA!'** roared the men.

They charged en masse towards the hive clusters, firing as they went. A great host of zerglings and hydralisks arose to assault them, only to be swept away by the onslaught. The sunken colonies tore up men with its tentacles, yet it could do nothing to stop them. The feeling of despair which had beset them now seemed to turn to panic. A panic not their own as the outer sunken colonies were burned up by incendiary rounds.

Yamanov scaled up the cliffs and began fighting with the zerg there, killing them as they came at him. His white armored marines were fighting with ruthless ease. Serena and Hector's men crashed against the hive cluster's inner defenses. For a few moments, a tide of zerglings and hydralisks coupled with a sunken colony held them at bay. For a few moments, both sides suffered casualties. Yet the militia were the stronger, and the zerg's numbers were spent.

Their defenses were laid bare. Explosives were tossed into the green liquid of the spawning pool. The resulting explosion sent it collapsing in on itself. Many drones were machine-gunned down as they worked minerals from the side of the mountain. Several tried to escape but were shot down by Yamanov and Hector. Reinforcements arrived from other areas, yet these too were destroyed.

At last, they came to the hatchery. A curious desire came over Serena to see within the caves, but she quashed it. She knew well the peril of such places now. Incendiary rounds were fired, and the hatchery was consumed in flames.

At last, it was over.

The zerg's power had been broken. Cheers came from the men, and Serena felt an urge to let them have it. Yet that urge made her feel she should not.

'Cut that out!' she said. 'We haven't won yet! Yamanov, scan the east for any more hive structures and burn everything you find! Isabel, take your forces west and do the same!

Hector…' She paused, trying to think of orders. Then she looked to the wall of the cliffs. The zerg drones had used acid to melt away large portions of the rock to reveal many glimmering minerals. She wasn't a prospector, but she had the feeling it was a very rich find. Overhead were the Overlords from before. 'Hector as soon as you've killed any of the remaining zerg in this area. I want you to establish this area as our primary forward base. Contact Mesa Munroe and arrange for SCV crews to be sent down here on the double. Begin construction of a fortified mining camp.'

'Give us a moment for god's sake.' said Hector.

'If the zerg have any secondary hive clusters,' said Serena, 'then we will need to have a forward base. To conduct assaults against them. We may have won, but then we may not. In any event, it is essential that we keep up our momentum.' She paused. 'Well done, all of you. You may well have just saved this entire planet and everyone on it.' Silence. 'Keep up the good work.'

God, she hated making victory speeches.

As she looked around at the devastation, she had wrought her men looked with her. The rotting remnants of the zerg were decaying rapidly. The creep was receding without anything to support it. They had done it. They had saved the world. It seemed almost unreal as if the world itself could hardly believe what had just happened.

Suddenly there was a rumbling noise and down from the heavens poured massive sheets of rain. Wave after wave of water washed into the canyons, washing away the blood from their armor. Washing away the grime. The filth of the zerg swarm was swept away by clean, pure water.

The despair which had beset every one of them, even if they hadn't noticed it, lifted from their hearts. Serena could hardly stop herself from laughing as mirth bubbled over in her heart. She had done it, no they had done it. Against all the odds and trials, she had done it. Everyone said she couldn't. But Serena Calabas had crushed the zerg.

However great she became, Serena Calabas would regard this moment with pride. The day that the Colonial Militia of Mar Sara had crushed and enemy Alpha Squadron dared not fight.

It was almost too good to be true.

'Ma'am,' said a soldier, 'we've got Sons of Korhal dropships approaching the evacuation zone. What are your orders?'

'Strap yourselves in boys.' said a Sons of Korhal pilot.

Oh right, she was guilty of treason.

'Well… shit.' said Serena.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Well, this wraps up Desperate Alliance. I was kind of expecting it to go on for longer, but I guess Backwater Station has more story events within it. Enjoy I guess. Either way, next time we have the Jacobs Installation. Possibly, I'm not really sure as of yet frankly.


	14. The Jacobs Installation

**Chapter Fourteen: The Jacobs Installation**

 _In the decade since the end of the Guild Wars everyone in the colonies had been too terrified to try and rebel. There were pirates, and paramilitary groups, of course. But mostly they preyed on civilian targets while the military was on the offensive. Turns out that going ten years without ever coming under attack makes you pretty poor at defending your installations._

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

It was the office of the Colonial Magistrate, and it was empty save for Serena, who sat down writing orders. By now word of what she had done had no doubt reached Tarsonis. She was determined to have everything in order before the inevitable occurred. Some part of her dared hoped her uncle might look the other way, or even protect her, but she knew the truth. He'd always held her in contempt since she refused to become breeding stock.

The transmission came through and there he was. Serena smiled politely. 'Ah, uncle. I was just about to call you to report the complete eradication of all zerg colonies on Mar Sara. My militia are sweeping them up as we speak.

You'll be happy to know that the Confederate Squadrons didn't have to lift a finger to help. Far from it, in fact.'

He ignored the barb. 'Your status as Colonial Magistrate is suspended barring an official investigation of your affiliation with the Sons of Korhal.' snapped Arturro Calabas. 'Furthermore, given your humiliation of the Confederate Military, you are hereby withdrawn to Tarsonis to answer charges for treason.'

'Humiliation?' asked Serena, letting her contempt become visible to him. 'You did nothing while Mar Sara burned. You did less than nothing, in fact, you actively impeded my efforts to defend the colonists!'

'You were not sent there to defend the colonists.' said Arturro. 'You were sent there to control their state of panic and prevent it from escalating. That's all. You superseded those orders illegally. Now fringe worlds across the sector are talking about how they don't need us anymore.'

'They don't need us.' hissed Serena. 'Far from it. If we're going to go around arresting them for defending themselves, they have a vested interest in getting rid of us. Maybe if you people gave them an incentive to be a part of the Confederacy instead of just pointing guns in their faces and nuking population centers you wouldn't be in this situation!'

'You…' Arturro strove, 'you are not helping your case. In light of your popularity when you return to Tarsonis I may decide to pardon you. However, your debts remain your own. If you are not on the first transport off Mar Sara I will send a squad of ghosts to retrieve you. Do you understand?'

Silence. Absolute silence. Useless fool. As if he could ever understand what these people had gone through because of him. '…Perfectly, my dear uncle.' said Serena. 'You are entirely transparent.'

'Congratulations are in order, I suppose.' said Arturro. 'When you return to Tarsonis I'll allow you to keep full responsibility and credit for your actions. Good night.' The channel cut out.

Serena sat back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling fan, letting out a sigh. Then she leaned forward and pressed a button to contact her secretary. 'Send in Ms. Munroe and Mr. Prestor, if you don't mind Carol.' She said to her secretary.

The door opened a few moments later and Mesa and Hector entered the room, sitting down in front of her. 'You called for us Magistrate?'

'Oh I'm not Magistrate anymore.' said Serena. 'It seems in light of my exemplary service I am being recalled to Tarsonis. To answer charges of treason on a technicality.'

'What?' said Hector. 'But… you saved this place! Hell, we didn't even use the Sons of Korhal dropships. It was a backup plan!'

'None of which matters in the slightest to my uncle or the Confederacy.' said Serena. 'Which leaves the matter of succession. Ms. Muroe, these documents officially swear you in as Magistrate of Mar Sara.'

'Why me?' asked Mesa.

'Well you gave a damn about me cutting funds to schools and all that.' said Serena. 'Sorry about that, but it was all necessary for survival and all that. I expect you'll be able to redirect your funds however you like now, and the people under you seem to like you. So you'll just have to do the best you can.' She paused. 'Hector, with the recent arrest of Marshall Raynor, the militia now has no clear chain of command.

'I intend to remedy the situation. As of this moment you are now the first Captain of the Mar Sara militia. Your task is to act as the Magistrate's military advisor. And keep the militia properly trained.'

'I… I get it.' said Hector. 'But what about you?'

'Me?' asked Serena. 'I'm going to Tarsonis I guess. I had intended to embezzle some funds to pay off my debts to the Combine, but I never got around to it. I expect at best I'll be pardoned, doomed to obscurity and then found hanging from a street lamp.

'Still, it was fun while it lasted.'

'We could provide you shelter.' said Hector.

'Don't be an idiot.' said Serena. 'I didn't save this colony just to put it on a collision course with the Confederacy of Man. You're continued survival and prosperity now relies on your falling under the radar.' She grabbed her bag and stood up. 'It's all arranged ahead of time. I'm nothing if not prepared, and I need to go if I'm not going to miss my flight.'

She made her way to the door, blinking back tears despite herself. All this, all of this and it counted for nothing. Not for her anyway. She supposed she could take solace in the fact that she had done good, but she really wasn't feeling up to it.

'Magistrate,' said Munroe suddenly.

Serena glanced back. 'Yes?'

'Thank you.' said Munroe.

Serena nodded and left without a word. She made her way out of the command center and looked around at the refugee camp. Once bustling with activity, it was now almost empty as people returned to their homes one by one. A few militia remained here, but it was too large to keep running without a large standing army. One they were unlikely to have in the future.

'Rough luck huh?' asked a familiar voice.

She looked up, scarcely believing her ears. Jim Raynor was leaning against the side of the wall, arms crossed with a roguish smile on his face. She stared, opening her mouth and then closing it, unable to form words.

'Hey man.' he said, raising a hand.

'Raynor, you son of a bitch!' she said, hardly able to contain her joy. 'What are you doing here? I figured you'd be stuck in New Folsom by now!'

'Arcturus' boys sprung me from the prison ship.' said Raynor. 'Apparently they're as frustrated with the Confederates as we are. I know their reputation, but they seem to be on the level. I think Arcturus wanted to speak with you.'

'So he gets me to commit treason, and now he offers me a job.' said Serena. 'Real classy. He certainly knows how to treat a lady.'

'Well to be fair you didn't have to accept.' said Raynor. 'Anyway there is a dropship waiting for us a little ways on, it'll take us to his flagship. The Hyperion. Unless you want to head off to Tarsonis and get tried for doing the Confederacy's job for them? No pressure.'

'Well what am I going to say?' asked Serena. 'No?'

* * *

The Hyperion was an impressive vessel, even by the standards of battlecruisers. it was longer than most, with engines larger than the normal sort. It had been a top of the line prototype, developed for the use of a Squadron Commander. It would have been the fastest ship in the fleet if the Sons of Korhal hadn't stolen it before it's maiden voyage.

When Mengsk had stolen it, Serena remembered the fury of her uncle. The way he had screamed at his subordinates, demanding they get it back and bring him Mengsk's head. They hadn't of course, and he'd been in a fouler mood than usual for months afterward. That had been before her betrothal, of course.

Now as she stepped into its bays, she looked with interest at the crews manning them. They worked diligently, of course, but at the same time, there seemed too few of them. Looking to Raynor, she felt compelled to ask about it as they made their way through empty halls.

'Raynor,' she said 'where is everyone?'

'Turns out that the scourge of the Confederacy is severely understaffed.' said Raynor. 'He had a skeleton crew here before we came aboard. A skirmish with Alpha Squadron did a real number on his troop numbers. That's why he rescued my boys and me; he wanted trained soldiers to work for him.

'I guess he figured we wouldn't mind fighting the Confederacy.'

'It would also explain why he felt confident he could evacuate my colony with just a battlecruiser and a few transports.' mused Serena. 'Kind of depressing actually.'

'Excuse me,' said a soldier.

Serena looked up to see a dark haired boy in a pilots uniform. He was fresh-faced and looked only a little younger than her.

'Yes?' she asked.

'I'm Matt Horner,' he said, 'I'm one of the wraith pilots for the Sons of Korhal. Are you Serena Calabas?'

'Yes, that is me.' said Serena.

'I just wanted to say that I really admire what you did down there on Mar Sara.' said Matt. 'The zerg have been appearing on other worlds. But your victory out here on Mar Sara has given people hope on the fringe worlds. I'm glad you've decided to join us.'

'I haven't decided anything.' said Serena. 'Other than that I'd prefer to hear what Mengsk has to say before I listen to charges of treason.'

'Right, right,' said Matt. 'I guess you've been told all the Confederate propaganda so you have your doubts. I understand.'

'I had a front-row seat on watching it being made.' said Serena. 'Which means I also know the Sons of Korhal have done some things which aren't matters of pride.'

'Mengsk has loose control over some of the groups affiliated with us.' said Matt. 'They wear our colors, but they act on their own. When they go too far, he cuts them loose.'

'How enormously satisfying.' said Serena. 'Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Horner. For now, I have a meeting to attend.'

'Of course,' said Matt. 'I uh… I won't keep you any longer.'

They made their way through the halls and eventually came to a door which led into the bridge. On that bridge stood Mengsk, looking out over the surface of Mar Sara with his hands clasped behind his back. In one of his hands was a badge. They came to a halt behind him and waited.

He then turned around and tossed the badge to Serena who caught it. It was of gold color held the emblem of the Sons of Korhal, an arm gesturing in strength. 'Commander,' he said, 'Mar Sara has been almost completely liberated from the zerg. Fortunately, the Confederates began abandoning the planet before you even began your assault. This has provided us with a unique opportunity.'

'Okay I should like to point out that I technically haven't agreed to anything yet.' said Serena. 'Or are we just skipping the part where I agree out of desperation?'

'I want you to raid this colonies Confederate outpost and retrieve whatever designs or weapons schematics that you can find in their networks.' continued Mengsk with a slight smile. 'With the chaos of the Confederate evacuation, you shouldn't have any trouble getting in or out of their installation.'

'No?' asked Serena. 'Okay then, just checking.'

'I'm into it.' said Raynor.

'Now hold on a second,' said Serena, 'some of the Confederate garrisons helped Mar Sara fight off the zerg. They disobeyed direct orders to defend the colonists. I'm not sure I'm okay with killing them.'

'If you are referring to Lieutenant Yamanov,' said Mengsk, 'you will be pleased to hear that he and his men have realized that the Confederacy does not have the sectors best interests at heart. I was able to persuade him to accept a place in the Sons of Korhal.'

'Which means,' said Raynor, 'that everyone in that installation left the colonists to rot.'

'Oh,' said Serena, 'alright let's wax them.'

* * *

The dropship shuddered as Serena wondered when it was that her life went so totally off the rails. She'd never expected that she'd end up turning on the Confederacy. But here she was, clad in marine armor again with a very terran target. Her only aspirations had been to ruffle her uncle's feathers. And to become famous by making something of herself.

Now as they drew near the facility, Serena reflected that this was quite an unexpected turn of events. She turned her attention to the now red armored marines around her, Raynor at the far end in a black marine suit. 'Alright ladies and gentlemen!' she said. 'Our primary objective is to seize the Confederate weapons schematics. It is not to kill civilians and make good on our reputation as terrorists!

I don't want any unnecessary deaths! Don't shoot at anything which isn't shooting at you! Do you understand?!'

'Yes, ma'am!' They said.

The dropships landed, and they poured out into the badlands. The doors to the installation were sealed tight. They did not remain so. Heavy explosives were set to them, and moments later it exploded inwards to reveal a large hall. Leading her troops in she reached a large sliding metal door.

Raynor was beside her.

'Alright,' said Serena, 'we'll blow the door down and scan for hostiles-'

Raynor pressed a button, and the door opened.

'They haven't even locked their doors?!' roared Serena. 'What the hell is wrong with this army?!'

'A lot of things.' said Raynor. 'Anyone with a conscience abandoned the military after Korhal. Most everyone who works for them now is either brain panned or corrupt as all hell. They have a shortage of competent officers.'

'I can tell.' said Serena as they moved forward. 'Alright, their primary data core is not going to be any of the doors in the initial area.' She led them forward down the halls. The empty, empty halls. 'Surely they could have at least have had a guard posted?'

'Their abandoning ship remember?' said Raynor. 'Besides, the guy who should have been in charge of this place's security defected.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'I forgot.'

She came before the doors and noted a side passage leading away. 'Let's take the side passage. Going in the front door strikes me as too likely to end in a firefight.'

'You mean like last time?' asked Raynor as the troops made their way onwards.

'Last time we were lucky and they were stupid.' said Serena, 'Most of their staff have probably evaced anyway, so they not have had the manpower to guard it. I doubt we'll be that lucky again.'

'Fair point.' mused Raynor.

The side passage turned, and soon they were heading straight onwards. They came to test tubes, now empty. Serena examined them, having a feeling she knew exactly what they were testing.

'What do you think these tanks were built to contain?' asked Raynor.

'Organic specimens.' said Serena. 'Possibly with medical or military intentions.' She didn't mention what she suspected the organic specimens were — no need to raise peoples concern.

They pressed onwards, scanning the halls for any sign of opposition. Finally, they came to a single white clad marine standing guard. For a moment the man stood there stunned. Serena and the men all raised their guns.

'Drop your weapon.' said Serena. 'And get up against the wall.'

The man raised his gun. The sound of him firing a shot was drowned out by the en masse unloading of gauss rifles. They tore him to bloody shreds. Something glanced off Serena's shoulder pad, leaving a gash on it. She raised her gun in one hand, so it pointed towards the ceiling.

'Someone make a note of that man's bravery.' she said. 'Let's go.'

'You know,' said Raynor, 'if they are holding top secret stuff in this lab than I reckon it means they will be keeping only their most loyal soldiers with em.'

'Nice to know.' said Serena. 'We're still not killing everything in sight.'

'I wasn't suggesting it.' said Raynor, sounding offended.

They halted, and Serena came to a door. Looking through it, she saw a computer console. There were also a number of civilian personnel, along with a single marine. She hit the open button, and they stormed in, guns a blazing.

The marine was paste in seconds, and the civilians cowered.

'Alright people,' said Serena, 'cooperate and stay down and you won't get hurt. Now, what is the purpose of this console.'

'It controls the security cameras!' cried the man.

'Excellent.' said Serena, making her way over and turning it on. Scanning through the screens, she found the main data console. It had some firebats guarding it, as well a ghost. 'There, we want there.' She turned around. 'Let's go Jim.'

They headed down a side hall, looking for the way to main data console. Instead, they found what looked to be holding pens. Serena looked at each of the animals, a nasty suspicion growing in her mind.

'These things are from all over the sector.' said Raynor. 'What would they be doing here?'

'I don't know.' said Serena. 'Biological experimentation, perhaps?'

They rounded the corner and saw a number of firebats. The firebats charged and were shorted waxed in a barrage of shots. Their fuel tanks exploded and their death screams were horrible. Serena moved over the char marks and saw a cell. Inside it, she saw a group of zerglings.

'You rebel scum!' said a civilian.

Serena raised her gun and the man cowered. Then she turned to Raynor. 'Jim get your men in front of that door and take a defensive position. We've got an extermination to perform.'

'What do you mean by-' began Raynor.

Serena made her way over to the console and opened the door. The zerglings rushed out, only to be mowed down en masse as they came. All died before they reached them. 'That. I mean that.'

'Zerg?!' said Raynor. 'I don't believe this!'

'Believe it.' said Mengsk in their ears. 'I saw zerg in Confederate holding pens myself and that was over a year ago. It's clear the Confederates have known about these creatures for some time. For all we know, they could be breeding the things. Be that as it may, our priority here is accessing the Confederate network. We've already dealt with the zerg.'

There was a stunned silence.

'…How did he do that?' asked Serena. 'See through our suits?' She wanted that technology.

'Serena,' said Raynor, 'you don't seem very surprised.' His tone was accusing.

'I've figured out a lot more than I let on.' admitted Serena. 'I've picked my own time and place to reveal it because I couldn't afford to have people start a fight. Since that is no longer an issue, I'll tell you everything I know and everything I suspect after we finish our mission.

'Right now we're on a time table.'

They retraced their steps and took the path untaken. Making their way along a winding passage, they scanned for any hostiles. They found some when a tile popped up from the floor to reveal an automated machine gun. It sprayed the hallway with fire and Serena dodged behind the wall. Peeking around the corner, she flinched back as another spray of bullets nearly did her in. Raynor drew out a grenade and hurled it, and it landed at the base of the machine gun.

There was a terrific explosion, and they passed.

'This is not what I was expecting to do to get a story when I left Tarsonis.' murmured Michael.

'Well things never do turn out like you expect them.' said Serena, trying to sound sage. 'You never know when you go to a new place that an alien invasion might take place and the government does nothing to stop it, causing you to join a group of terrorists out of sheer disgust.'

'Do you want me to put that in the paper?' asked Liberty.

'Sure, go ahead.' said Serena. 'Wait, what are you even doing here?'

'I uh… didn't anyone tell you?' asked Liberty.

'Tell me what?' asked Serena.

'I was part of the team that rescued Jim.' said Liberty.

'You were?' asked Raynor.

'I don't remember that.' said a member of the militia.

'Oh come on!' said Michael.

'Calm down, we're just hazing you.' said Raynor. 'Anyway yeah, Michael was the one who told Mengsk we needed rescue. He's acting as a sort of embed reporter.'

'You do realize that no story you send to Tarsonis is ever going to make the news right?' asked Serena in deadpan.

'Actually, I wouldn't underestimate Handy Anderson.' said Liberty. 'My boss, I mean. He's got dirt on all kinds of people, and he's set things up so if anything happens to him all of it will go viral. No one is exactly sure what he has, only that some pretty big names are part of it.

'Which means he has a bit of leeway to post what he wants. He'll probably edit things, tone them down a bit, but he loves a good story.'

'So he's an agent of the Sons of Korhal?' asked Raynor.

'No,' said Serena, 'he's an agent for himself. Anti-Confederate news is so hard to find that people eat it up like candy. I know I did. Now everyone shut up, we should have found something by now.'

The halls were empty. Empty room after empty room passed them, with everything of value stripped away. They passed through a door and found still more unguarded and abandoned rooms. Then they came to what appeared to be a dead end. The only notable thing in this empty room was a circle of steel which glowed faintly.

'What now?' asked Michael. 'Do we head back?'

'I'm not sure.' said Serena. 'I think I know what that circle is. It looks like…'

Raynor stepped onto it. For a moment he was there and then he was gone. There was a murmur from the men as Serena sighed. 'A teleportation field.'

Raynor reappeared and stepped off. 'Now that is nifty. Why don't we use those things instead of dropships?'

'It costs roughly two thousand credits to teleport one person, once.' said Serena. 'Mostly they use them when they need to have a contained environment for an experiment. With no doors or windows.'

'But if there are no doors or windows how do they dig the tunnels?' asked Michael. 'And how do they get air.

'Obviously, they dig a small tunnel which they then widen out into a large chamber. From there they create the rest of it.' said Serena. 'The tunnel becomes a ventilation system. Also an emergency escape hatch in case the teleportation field fails. Now everyone step onto it.

"And whatever you do, don't step on it, but leave yourself halfway off. It would be unfortunate if you teleported yourself in half.'

'Ouch.' said Raynor.

They all stepped onto the teleportation field and clustered together. Soon they were in an entirely new room. Making their way to the only door, they opened it and pressed onwards. As they pressed on along a hall, they began to hear voices. Serena moved against the wall, and those under her command did the same as they crept slowly along it.

'Sir, we've evacuated most of the specimens. There are only a few left for transport.' said a man. 'However a Sons of Korhal strike force has hit us. They've bypassed most of our security forces. Our communication systems are shorting out. So are the locking mechanisms.'

'The data in your computers must not fall into enemy hands.' said a fluid, familiar voice. 'Purge them immediately. I'm surprised you had to ask, Commander.' Serena peered around to see a man in a black confederate uniform. He was guarded by many white armored marines.

'Yes sir, we're already working at it, but there is a lot of ground to cover.' said the man. 'The Sons of Korhal are better armed, and we're heavily outnumbered. We don't think we'll be able to defeat them. I'd like permission to surrender.'

'You've performed your part in the experiments well, Commander. Destroy the consoles, then kill as many as you can.' The transmission cut out and whoever it was gone.

They surged around the corner along with her men who lowered their guns. The armored marines replied in kind and there was dead silence for a long moment.

'We've got company!' said a marine.

'Don't listen to him.' said Serena. 'Cooperate and you'll make it off this world alive.'

'I'd listen to the lady, boys.' said Raynor. 'You haven't been able to stop us so far.'

The Commander remained silent for a long moment. Then he drew a pistol. 'Blast them!'

All hell broke loose in a matter of moments. Gauss rounds shattered off Serena's chest plate and those of her men. Both forces unleashed a full barrage. Their guns tore through the Confederate's inferior armor. After a few moments of noise and the flash of guns they quieted.

The Confederates were all dead. Not one of Serena's soldiers had fallen. They'd never stood a chance.

The console behind the enemy had been destroyed, and they made their way forward. Raynor looked at it with a bit of humor. 'Sure hope that wasn't the only computer.'

'No.' said Serena, looking around to see civilians. 'Fan out, get these civilians where you can see them. If they try to delete anything you have my permission to shoot them. All of you away from the consoles! On your knees and get your hands behind your heads!' She fired into the ceiling, and they obeyed.

'Shame we blasted the communications array.' muttered Raynor. 'We could have figured out who sent the call.'

'It would have been anonymous.' said Serena. 'But I think I already know. Raynor, take charge of the search. Find everything you can, files, physical or digital I don't care what.' Then she turned and watched the door.

For a few minutes, they searched the room. Eventually, Raynor found a computer system which hadn't been wrecked. He ran into trouble right away. 'Serena, this console is locked down.'

'Glorious,' said Serena, 'alright everyone listen up! There are two ways this can happen! You can tell us the password to this console-'

'It's Gandalf.' said a scientist.

Serena stared at him. 'You didn't even hear me out.'

'Are you kidding me?' asked the scientist. 'I got drafted into this mess at gunpoint. And even if everything went as planned, I'd have to spend the rest of my life wondering if there was a ghost somewhere who had decided I knew too much. I'm not getting killed so the Confederates can keep their dirty little whatever it is.'

'Oh good.' said Serena, feeling a bit disappointed. 'I'm glad this worked out.'

'You really wanted to threaten someone at gunpoint didn't you.' said Liberty.

'It would have been a new experience for me.' said Serena.

'You need help.' said Liberty.

'Hey, we found the plans man.' said Raynor over the radio. 'Just have the transports waiting for us when we come out.'

Serena smiled. 'Excellent work Raynor.'

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Okay, that is the Jacobs Installation for you. This ended up being something of a breather episode, all things considered. With the dramatic, epic and high stakes final battle for Mar Sara over the Jacobs Installation is made less tense. After all, the zerg have been defeated.

Instead of raiding a facility on a dying world, racing against time to get in, get what they want, and get out before the protoss blow it to Kingdom come things are different. They're raiding a badly run facility with all the time in the crushed.


	15. Salvation

**Chapter Twelve: Salvation**

 _The victory at Mar Sara was a lot of things. Expected was not one of them. When Alpha Squadron went to Mar Sara no one expected them to hamstring the defenders. When Serena Calabas mobilized Mar Sara's resources, no one expected her to raise an army. And when she was given an opportunity to evacuate, we sure as hell didn't expect her to stick to her guns and win._

 _After that what she did last of all was the whipped cream on the humble pie dealt to everyone involved._

 _In a war of desperate evacuations before unstoppable odds, Mar Sara was a success story. The good guys won. And the Confederacy repaid the debt by stripping Calabas of her rank and calling her back. You save a planet and get to answer charges of treason. Is it any wonder that she joined the Sons of Korhal?_

 **-Liberty's Report, volume I.**

* * *

Serena and Raynor returned to the Hyperion to cheers by a crowd of soldiers. Many of them were slapped on the back and congratulated. It might have made more of an impact if they had not been wearing neo steel power armor. Still, it put Serena in a far better mood.

Serena got out of her marine armor and stretched as she made her way towards the bridge. She found Mengsk and Raynor waiting for them, and Serena smiled. 'All this over a raid on a Confederate outpost?'

Mengsk looked very pleased himself. 'It was a small victory but an important one.' he said. 'And I have reason to believe it will be reported in the news, albeit in fringe worlds. Michael Liberty will be of great use to us.'

'Frankly,' said Serena, 'I'm more interested in the defeat of the zerg. Do we have any idea how many of these things there are?'

'We do not know as much as we would like.' admitted Mengsk. 'The Sons of Korhal have observed the Confederacy in action for years. Our eyes are unclouded by the propaganda. Chau Sara was not the first colony they appeared on.'

'That's news to me.' said Raynor. 'Where was it?'

'I am not entirely certain.' said Mengsk. 'However, several smaller colonies which came under assault by the zerg. The Confederates destroyed the zerg and slaughtered the colonists. They hoped to cover up their existence.'

'Are you serious?' asked Raynor.

'Quite,' said Mengsk, 'I would have liked to defend them. However, I am a man of great but limited resources. I do not have the luxury of fighting every battle I ought to. Do you have anything to add to this, Commander?' His eyes were accusing.

Serena remained silent. 'Fine, I'll tell you what I know. But a lot of it is guesswork.'

'Yeah, you said something about that.' said Raynor. 'Know something we don't, man?'

'One of the Confederate Officers in the garrison on Mar Sara told me that the zerg operate on a crude hive mind. I was able to confirm that much when I spoke with a man who had fought on Chau Sara.' Serena paused. 'While on Mar Sara we observed the zerg who attacked Backwater Station acting strange. Ask anyone in the militia.'

'That much is true.' said Raynor. 'They were real passive. It was like they were just standing around waiting to be killed and they only attacked once we got near. Everyone found it weird, and the boys in Alpha Squadron were doing nothing the whole time.'

'Alpha Squadron specializes in blitzkrieg tactics.' said Serena. 'I've studied my history. If they had wanted to get down there, it would have been in a few hours tops. It took us thirty minutes, but they, the trained professionals, took three days to show up.

'That got me thinking, what if Alpha Squadron was just waiting? Waiting to observe the situation for some kind of experiment. The thing is that that didn't make sense at all. They have already seen what happens when the zerg go unchecked.

'But then I remembered the zerg just standing around waiting to be attacked.

I think, and I'm not alone, that the Confederacy has figured out some way to interfere with the zerg hive mind. They wanted to see how well it worked, and Backwater Station was the testing ground.' She looked to Mengsk. 'What do you think?'

'It sounds completely in line with what I have learned of the zerg and the Confederacy's interest in them.' said Mengsk. 'If they did develop a device like this it would allow a critical advantage. They would also want to test it in as lifelike a situation as possible.'

'So they…' Raynor seemed scarcely able to speak. 'I figured it was just rumors among the men. I didn't actually think…' He shook his head. 'You mean they were going to let Mar Sara burn just so could see how well their new toy worked?! So they could have an advantage in future battles?! There are tens of thousands of people down there!'

'Is it truly so hard to believe?' asked Mengsk with bitter amusement. 'The Confederacy is well documented in its willingness to discard those of no use to it. Mar Sara was a fraction as profitable as Chau Sara, and that they abandoned.

'No, we cannot discount the Commander's theory on the basis of Confederate conscience. The only question now is what their next move will be.' He turned to the bridge. 'Ensign what is the status of the Confederate blockade?'

'Sir,' said the ensign, 'the Norad II is continuing its evacuation. The last of the Confederate dropships are being withdrawn. It looks as though they mean to pull out entirely.'

'Why?' asked Serena. 'We've already destroyed the zerg. They should be going down there to take back control of the colony, not pulling out. What are they thinking?'

Mengsk remained silent with a thoughtful expression on his face. 'Ensign, I want you to send down dropships to Mar Sara immediately. Just in case.'

'Just in case of what?' asked Raynor.

'You forget,' said Mengsk, 'there is one other hostile alien race for us to contend with.'

At that moment there was a distortion in space over Mar Sara. Shimmering scarab-like ships warped into view. They numbered in the dozens and were of shining gold. Their very surface radiated power. Serena realized with horror why the Confederates were pulling out. The protoss had arrived. Even now she could see blue energy coursing through their frames to consolidate at the tips. Soon that energy was pointed at Mar Sara.

'Sir!' said an ensign. 'Several dozen protoss warships just appeared over Mar Sara! Their charging weapon systems!' This coming from the department of the obvious.

'We have to do something!' said Raynor. 'My friends are down there!'

What was worse was the sheer unbridled hubris — the contempt which exuded from the vessels hovering over the ship. Serena was not sure why, but she felt for sure that the aliens on that ship held terrans in as much contempt as the zerg. Yet there was not hatred there, just condescension. You could tell by looking that they thought they were the greatest species ever to exist. It was an aura.

'We can't.' said Mengsk, shaking his head. 'We don't have the firepower to contend with the protoss. Let alone their entire fleet. Ensign recall the dropships; they won't make it in time. We'll have to pull out.'

This couldn't be happening. Serena couldn't believe this was happening. They had fought so hard, sacrificed so much. They had defeated the zerg, humbled the Confederates and now for what?! Mar Sara was going to burn. Everyone down there would die. Gui, Mesa, Hector, and so many others and all the heroics of the terrans would be for nothing.

She couldn't let this happen.

'Open a transmission to the protoss.' said Serena. 'Maybe we can reason with them.'

'Reason with them?' asked Raynor. 'Their first contact was nuking Chau Sara.'

'It's Mar Sara's only chance.' said Serena. 'Let me send a message to them on an open channel.'

'That's crazy.' said Raynor. 'How do we even know they can receive our messages?'

'We don't.' said Mengsk. 'However, it is worth trying. Do as she says. Patch her through.'

The ensign fiddled with the controls. The lights from the ships grew brighter and brighter. Every moment that passed meant Mar Sara's destruction became that much closer. And yet still the channel went. Finally, the ensign looked up. 'Commander, you are on.'

'Protoss Commander,' said Serena. 'I am Serena Calabas, and I speak for the Mar Sarans whose lives you threaten. You are about to commit genocide upon an innocent world. The zerg have been purged from the surface. The Confederacy has withdrawn its ships rather than face you. The only people remaining on that world are ordinary people. They have done nothing but defend their homes.

'Destroying them will gain you nothing. To do so is nothing less than wholesale murder, perpetrated without defiance sent. Are you such cowards?'

There was silence. No reply was forthcoming.

'Are you such cowards?!' roared Serena. 'What's the matter mighty protoss? Don't have the stomach for a fair fight? Answer me damn you!'

Utter silence reigned, yet there seemed to be a changed in the air — a hesitation which exuded throughout the fleet, mixed with contempt. Gradually the contempt yielded before the hesitation — the energy which had been charging on every golden craft dispersed. The protoss vessels turned from their course and departed. Serena breathed out, leaning against the side of the wall.

Serena on some level realized she had been very heroic, but she wasn't feeling up to pride right now. Applause broke out from the crew as she rubbed her eyes with both hands. She looked up to Raynor.

'I need a drink.' said Serena.

'I'll buy you one.' said Raynor.

'Whatever.' said Serena. 'Make it nonalcoholic I don't drink alcohol. I dunno, a soda or something.'

'Whatever you want, darling.'

'Don't call me that.' said Serena.

* * *

Two weeks after the Mar Sarans unheard of victory, there was dead silence. Samir Duran knew exactly what to make of it if he was, to be honest. His presence had been requested by all the Squadron Commanders. Now he was sitting here in a meeting chamber, waiting for them to talk. The meeting had begun five minutes ago.

However, Lieutenant General Gregory Reikson of Omega Squadron, General Edmund Duke of Alpha Squadron, Commander Alan Schezar of Delta Squadron, Commander Matron Ruth of Gamma Squadron, and Lieutenant General Isabella Moros of Nova Squadron seemed content to glare at him.

Hard. Samir Duran knew that he wasn't well liked by these people. That in itself wasn't a problem, but he also had the feeling they regarded him as a liability — a third wheel. Duran had gotten where he was by making himself indispensable. He didn't like being regarded as a third wheel, however useful the feeling might have been.

Finally, Duke spoke: 'I could have wiped the zerg off Mar Sara in two standard hours.'

Short. To the point. And it may as well have been a hurricane judging from the way the dam broke after that. He could sense the outrage in the air.

'What the hell is wrong with the High Command?!' roared Reikson as he stood. 'We have an alien invasion on our hands, and you've had us just sit around while we lose whole planets!' This was an ironic complaint, coming from a man whose subordinates meant nothing to him.

'We could have stopped them at Chau Sara.' said Alan, who sat in his chair, hands clasped before his face. Duran could never read him as well as the others. 'If we'd brought in another Squadron we could have destroyed the zerg. We could have prevented the protoss from glassing the planet.' Ah Schezar, there was his agenda. He was feeding the fire while making his preparations on the side as always.

'You've been forcing me to keep my garrisons in the dark all the time.' said Matron. 'Whenever they do their jobs and help Cerberus Squadron you have them murdered.' Gamma Squadron was unique in that. Rather than being a single army, it was an organizational system for garrisons. It had a small task force for conducting offensives and reinforcing outposts, but that was it.

'I've been saying for years that the zerg's numbers had to be culled.' said Isabella. 'Every time I suggested an offensive you overrode me, and now look at our situation.' Nova Squadron had been in the know for far longer than the others. They had originally discovered the zerg.

Now he'd need to appear divorced from reality and overconfident. Just to make them really angry and keep things going the way they ought to. 'Gentlemen, please.' said Duran, exerting his will. 'The situation is well in hand. As we speak-'

'Really?' asked Reikson, shutting him down. 'Because when last I looked, Chau Sara has had every hill and mountain on it leveled. And most of its atmosphere blown to bits. All because you wouldn't shut the fuck up let us work!'

'You made Alpha Squadron look weak.' said Duke, a mixture of anger and contempt in his tone. 'If you people would just let me do my job, Liberty would be reporting a huge victory. Instead, he's making propaganda for the Sons of Korhal.'

'Why has no one killed that guy yet?' asked Reikson. 'And why are his pieces even being run?'

'We're working on it.' said Duran.

'Whether you are or not,' said Alan Schezar, 'The Mar Sarans have achieved independence. They have set a precedent that the Confederacy is not necessary for security. Serena Calabas, a woman our news networks were praising mere days ago, was provoked into joining the Sons of Korhal. She raided one of our facilities, stealing a great deal of data. This situation I blame largely on her uncle. His policy of criticizing success is unbecoming of a commander in chief.'

'And depending on what is in that data we could have serious trouble later.' mused Duke.

This was going very well, best to adopt a vaguely panicked expression. 'Gentlemen,' began Duran. 'if you would let me explain-'

'And another thing!' roared Reikson in mounting fury. 'I'd love nothing more than to point to all the times I wiped out whole hives of these things! But I can't because every time we get a victory over them, you slap a class 7 seal on it! 'Only our defeats are getting reported!'

'And I'm tired of having my men killed when you order purges of whole colonies.' said Matron. 'What purpose is served by keeping the zerg a secret anyway?'

'If you would just let me speak-' began Duran, adding frustration to his tone.

'Shut. Up.' said Reikson.

Samir Duran had been told to shut up. And if the looks of the other members of the Squadrons were any indication, everyone else would say it. He pretended to be cowed while looking resentful. 'Would you care to repeat that in front of the high command?' he asked, a warning in his voice.

'Gladly.' said Schezar. 'We're not here to listen to you try to justify your actions, Duran. To say that the defense of our holdings has been mismanaged would be the understatement of the century. And despite all your efforts, the secret of the zerg has come out anyway, in the worst possible way. Meaning that all this secrecy was less than pointless.'

'Basically, the High Command has no idea what the fuck it's doing. They're a bunch of aristocratic morons living the high life while our asses are on the line.' said Reikson. 'And as of this moment, we're going to fix this in our own way. We're still going to coordinate with Cerberus, but don't think you can order us around.'

'And if you order anymore purges on our troops.' said Matron. 'We will order a purge on your entire Squadron.'

Time to fall back on technicalities to make himself appear weak. 'Gentlemen this could be called treason.' said Duran.

'Call it what you will.' said Schezar. 'Your pet projects do not justify throwing away our colonies. As of this moment, the zerg exist. We will fight them openly and without restriction from the High Command. I am well aware that your research has borne fruit, and it will be used. You will keep us updated.

'We'll call you when we need you.'

'You-' began Samir.

'You are dismissed, Samir Duran.' said Schezar.

The absolute indifference with which he was being treated was infuriating. Yet he stood up quite calmly with as much dignity as one could measure while admitting defeat. 'As you wish, gentlemen. I fear this won't go over well with the High Command however-'

'Will you just piss off already?!' asked Reikson.

Duran left and only once his back was turned did he smile. This was just perfect. He'd been working to alienate the Squadrons from the high command for years. He'd known something to this effect would happen. The dozens of Squadron Ghosts standing by as security were a dead giveaway. This really was the optimal result, though.

Of course, the Old Families had left the Squadrons out of their calculations, but that was all the better. In their panic, they would seek alternative means of enforcing their will. Far from presenting an obstacle to Duran's agenda, it would help. He could persuade his employer to fund his research to counter the Squadrons. And since Schezar thought that Duran was beaten, he could operate freely.

In the meantime, the Squadrons would check the swarm, and that was an important priority. The Old Families were startling naive regarding the zerg. They assumed that they could beat it into submission at their leisure. And with this assumption came the belief that they could use it for their own ends. With practical minds fighting it, it would at least be slowed down.

Duran would be the first to admit that the zerg were the greatest threat to his plans. Yet if he stopped it in the right way, it's very existence would play into his grand design.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Okay, so this came out of nowhere for me as well as you. The second half anyway, the first halfway planned out some time ago.

This is the beginning of a Confederate subplot which was not in the original canon.


	16. No Outrage

**Chapter Nine: No Outrage**

 _In the aftermath of Mar Sara, the Confederacy was in a mad scramble for credibility. Everyone was pointing fingers. The High Command blamed the Squadrons for not doing their jobs. The Squadrons blamed the High Command for making it their job to help the aliens along. Meanwhile, the colonists were largely blaming the Confederacy/. With the Mar Sarans both liberated and safe in spite of the Squadron's best efforts there was blood in the water._

 _The Confederate Squadrons turned out to be pretty good at fighting sharks, though._

 ** _-Liberty's reports._**

* * *

As soon as Samir Duran left the Squadron Commanders got down to business. They sorted through reports of the zerg arriving, read the data and analyzed it. Eventually, Schezar leaned back in his seat, clasped his hands before him and looked to each in turn. 'Alright gentlemen, this situation is bad. But it is not unsalvageable. As we agreed I will be taking command in place of the High Command.'

'Yeah, yeah,' said Reikson, 'now what is the plan?'

'Isabella,' said Schezar, 'I want you to begin searching for any signs of the zerg or protoss. Try to locate a homeworld if you can. If we know where their base of operations is, we can strike at it.'

'So keep doing what I've been doing?' asked Isabella.

'More or less.' said Schezar 'Duke, the colony of Antiga Prime is near to Mar Sara and has a history of unrest. I want you to head there and lock it down. Be advised that the zerg may have begun creating colonies there. You'd best find and destroy them if they are there.'

'On that note, I think I should reveal something which I previously wasn't able to.' said Isabella 'The Confederacy has begun growing zerg on Tarsonis. It's all unofficial of course, the man I got the information from died soon after.'

'What?' said Reikson. 'Are the Old Families insane?'

'Yes, but that is not the only reason for their actions.' said Schezar 'They are desperate. In order to keep their power, they had to invest the Squadrons with enormous power. Now they fear us as much as they rely on us. I believe that they are trying to create slave broods. Genetically altered for loyalty.

'Be that as it may, our priority here is the security of the Confederacy. We'll take care of the Old Families later.'

'But what if the zerg launch an invasion of Tarsonis?' asked Matron. 'Whenever the hive mind is present our control becomes ineffective.'

'They may have more advanced forms of control that have not been revealed to us.' admitted Schezar. 'Or perhaps they have not thought that far ahead. Either way Matron I want you to begin reinforcing the outlying worlds. Some of the garrisons have become lax in the past decade, and I want them to shape up.'

'Right,' said Matron, 'I'll also start coordinating more with the militia. It should make our position stronger.'

'Reikson.' Schezar turned to the other man.

'Yeah?' asked Reikson. What did Schezar want from him?

'The defeat on Mar Sara has emboldened the Kel'morian Combine.' said Schezar. 'They have begun to try and take Meinhoff for their own. Go there, find the Kel'morians and kill them all. Down to the last man. I want a chilling example made of anyone who thinks they can bite pieces off of our territory.'

'And what will you be doing?' asked Reikson.

'Delta Squadron will be coordinating with our friends in Cerberus Squadron. We're going to achieve a quest I have been meaning to undertake for some time.' said Schezar.

'And what is that?' asked Matron.

Schezar smiled. 'The taming of a cerebrate.'

He really was shooting for the stars, wasn't he?

Three days later Reikson's flagship, the Berserker V came out of orbit over Meinhoff. A bluish-white world notable for its mines more than anything else. Reikson stared down at it, waiting for his ensigns to finish their work. He clasped his hands behind him as he did so, running through things in his thoughts.

After a time a portly mustached man appeared on the screen. 'Lieutenant General Reikson I'm Anthony Marcus, the Magistrate.' he said, voice afraid. 'There must be some mistake. We didn't ask for help.'

'True enough,' said Reikson, 'however whether you asked for it or not, you are getting it. Stand by to receive my forces. We have reason to believe that the zerg will attack this location, and we're here to flush them out.'

'I see.' said Anthony. 'We'll have a landing place set up at once of course.' He was sweating, afraid of something. The channel cut out.

'Track his transmissions.' said Reikson.

For a time there was silence. The Omega Squadron forces descended to the planet. The only communications being arrangements for a location for their base camp. Then a Kel'morian signal appeared.

'What is it?' asked a man.

'Omega Squadron is overhead." said Anthony. "They're coming down to the surface. You'd better act scarce.'

'Right, right, we figured something like this would happen." said the Kel'morian. "Don't worry; we'll take care of them. We're well armed.'

'I hope you're right.' said Anthony. 'Here is their landing location. Just remember-'

'If we get captured you didn't know a thing about us." said the voice. 'Yeah, I gotcha. Dufranz out.'

Reikson smiled. 'I knew it. Our sources said the Kel'morians were there. But strangely enough, the colony didn't report an invasion. This is why the ghosts are so important people. They're a set of eyes which can't be bought.

'Redirect our ships to land at as sight two miles to the east. It's a clear field, nor much in the way of visibility from the outside.'

'How do you know that sir?' asked an ensign, Ivan Moros.

'I fought on Meinhoff during the Guild Wars.' said Reikson. 'Do you have the location for the Kel'morians?'

'Yes sir, we were able to get a fix on it.' said Ivan. 'They're holding a position in the highlands north. They appear to be sending a large force of vultures out towards our designated landing spot. It looks like they wanted to ambush us.'

'Good.' said Reikson. 'Send a message to our ghost team on sight. Tell them to deliver the package, minimum yield. Then instruct Ordren to take a position to defend the colony in case of assault.'

'Sir,' said Ivan, 'we've got … there are multiple zerg hives to the north and east.'

'I see.' said Reikson. 'We'll have to break those then.'

'What… is the package sir?' asked Ivan.

'If I told you that, I'm afraid I'd have to kill you.' said Reikson with a grin.

Ivan obeyed his orders. Isabella's nephew did his job quite well; he was attentive and obedient. He was also intelligent, so he was somewhat suspicious when he looked up. 'Sir, we're detecting multiple zerg bogey's coming in from the surrounding areas. The hives have gone berserk on the Kel'morians.'

* * *

Manchez was a Vulture pilot in the Kel'morian ravagers. As he and his men surged along the base of the highlands, he got the feeling he was being watched. Like something was looking at him like he'd look at an ant. And that it was about to pull out a magnifying glance.

'We got any visual on the Omega Squadron boys?' asked Manchez.

'Nothing yet boss.' said a soldier.

'Great,' said Manchez, 'you think Anthony got the wrong location or something.'

They sped out into the open and found no one and nothing. They cruised around for a few minutes, looking and finally halted. Manchez looked up. 'Well, maybe there was a last minute change of location. I'll call up Dufranz.'

He opened a channel.

'Dufranz here.'

'Hey boss,' said Manchez, 'the Confederate boys are no shows.'

'Right, you'd better withdraw.' said Dufranz. 'Com sat scans show they landed a little ways away from your position. They'll be fully prepared when you get there. We'll fight a- What the hell?'

'What is it, boss?' asked Manchez.

'Get back here!' said Dufranz. 'We've got those zerg things coming in and a lot of em coming from the north and east! Get back we need ya! Now!'

Manchez looked up. 'Alright, boys, back to base. They need us there!'

They rushed onwards on their bikes at full speed. Soon enough they found zerg swarming. Launching their grenades, they blew many of the creatures to bits. Yet others were coming around. Several vultures exploded as spines hit their engines. Zerglings came at them from all around.

'Form a ring boys!' cried Manchez. 'We'll fight em off!'

They did form a ring. As the zerg came at them, their grenade launchers killed the creatures by the hundreds. Yet there were always more of them, and little by little their forces dwindled. Vultures were exploding around them, and the zerg kept on coming.

Then Manchez saw a weak point in the zerg line. 'Break for there boys! We'll fight our way out!'

They rushed it and broke through, surging along the roads with the zerg in pursuit. As they rushed, they soon came to their base. Several structures were in flames as marines fired their guns at the mutalisk things. The bunker line was under assault.

'Break through boys! Let's help the others!' cried Manchez.

They hit the zerg assault from behind and crashed through their lines. They shattered the enemy formation and took up a position by the bunkers. Yet even as they did that the zerg who had been pursuing them came up from behind! For a few terrible minutes, the zerg were washing towards them en masse. Manchez was terrified they would break through.

Then, at last, the assault slackened, and it was over.

'Dufranz, you still alive man?' asked Manchez into the radio.

'Yes,' said Dufranz, 'but there are more zerg coming from the north. Look lively all of you. Put out those fires and get ready to hold this position.'

* * *

Lieutenant Orden of Omega Squadron landed with his company and stood by for orders. He was a tall, bulky man with a scar on his cheek. He had resigned himself to the fact that a lot of his boys were going to die. He still wanted something to shoot to distract himself. Fortunately, he hadn't been sent after the Kel'morians for nothing.

'Lieutenant Ordren,' said Reikson, 'take your force north. The zerg are setting up a hive cluster there. You are to disrupt its construction to prevent them from spreading.'

'Roger that command.' said Ordren. 'Let's rock boys!'

They rushed along the white packed dirt towards their destination. Climbing a hill, they saw what looked to be giant egg sacks growing. They were guarded by many zerg. Ordren turned off his safety as his men did the same. 'Wax em boys!'

They charged forward to get into range of the zerg. Omega Squadron marines weren't equipped with U 203 rounds. Not like those jokes in Alpha Squadron. They got up close to kill their enemies. As they went down, Ordren injected a stim into his body. His eyes went red, and he screamed in rage as he opened fire with superhuman reflexes.

The others also did so as they blasted down dozens of zerg in seconds. Hundreds soon followed, though a few dozen men were torn to pieces by the zerg. One man charged a hydralisk with his bayonet, eyes bloodshed and a bloodcurdling roar on his lips. He was shot down. Ordren finished the beast.

After a few seconds of vicious firefighting, the zerg defenders were destroyed. With that done they equipped incendiary rounds and burned the zerg structures to a crisp. Finally, everything was dead, and their vision began to clear. A bunch of his boys had been killed, several dozen at least. Better than usual, these zerg critters were an easy kill.

'Hive destroyed.' said Ordren. 'Anything else to kill?'

'Head east.' said Reikson. 'Several other companies are also doing that. The zerg are attacking the Kel'morian Combine. While they are doing that, we will set up a defensive line to contain both.'

Reikson watched as the zerg washed against the Kel'morian base's defenses. The Kel'morians were holding out well. Too well, he'd been hoping they would be overrun, and he'd be saved a fight. Still, Omega Squadron had managed to eliminate the berserk zerg's outlying colonies. Now he just had to watch as the Kel'morians had their showdown with the zerg.

'Ensign,' said Reikson, 'how many civilian casualties from the zerg's attack?'

'A few thousand sir.' said Ivan. 'We weren't able to reinforce some of the outlying areas in time. and the militia here is underequipped and weak.'

Reikson smiled. 'Well, perhaps they will know better in the future. Tell the Magistrate I expect him to improve his militia and make sure this doesn't happen again.'

'Sir, he betrayed us to the Combine.' said Ivan.

'Yes,' said Reikson, 'but the Kel'morian Combine is more a loose affiliation of Guilds than a real nation-state. So long as the ones down there all die out, he'll lose most of his contacts. I'll post a ghost outside his office, just in case, and have him disappeared later.'

The zerg were making headway. The Kel'morian defenses were failing, and the zerg's numbers were unthinned. Reikson realized that if the zerg won they might assault the main colony. His forces were not in a position to redeploy either.

'Sir!' said an ensign. 'We're hearing a message from the Kel'morians!'

'This is Charles Dufranz of the Kel'morian Combine! We're under heavy assault by the zerg and are cut off! Requesting immediate reinforcements from anyone! Anyone at all!'

'Sir…' said Ivan, 'do we intervene.'

Reikson almost said no. Even so, he suddenly felt a surge of sympathy. He remembered several times he'd been nearly overwhelmed. 'Yes,' said Reikson, 'all Omega Squadron forces engage the zerg and destroy them. Do not fire on the Combine.' He paused. 'Bring the Berserker V into battle and hover it over the Kel'morians. Tell them we're on our way.'

* * *

Like an angel from heaven descended the Berserker V. Its batteries were unleashed. The zerg were swiftly killed them by the thousands. At the same time, Omega Squadron troops flanked the zerg from the sides and behind.

Dufranz heard the men cheering as zerg were annihilated, but he was afraid. It was clear now that Omega Squadron would win. The question now was what would happen to them when they were done.

All too soon the zerg were destroyed. And with it their common enemy.

They were surrounded. Manchez and the others looked at the many ranks of Omega Squadron troops before them. Their guns were trailed. Above was the Berserker V its weapons now direct at a different sort of target. Them.

Dufranz gulped.

'Attention Kel'morian Combine.' said a voice. 'I am Lieutenant General Gregory Reikson of Omega Squadron. You are in violation of our territory, and I am well within my rights to execute every last one of you. After what the zerg did to you it would be a simple matter for me to crush you.

'However, since you have been of some use in repelling this zerg invasion I'm inclined to take you, prisoner. But you leave your weapons and attitude behind. Then tell your friends in the Kel'morian Combine that we don't tolerate this bullshit.

'You get me?'

Dufranz opened a channel. 'I'm Dufranz; I'm the commander of this expedition. We accept your terms. Just don't kill us.'

'I knew you boys would see reason.' said Reikson. 'Now throw down your weapons.'

The Combine was swift to comply. Guns clattered to the ground, but Manchez and his men didn't stray from their bikes.

'Excellent,' said Reikson 'you've made this a lot easier. You can give the rest of the Combine my message when you see them in hell. Execute the prisoners!'

Dufranz threw himself to the ground just as Omega Squadron opened fire. His boys were slaughtered around him. Omega Squadron gunning down everything in sight while running. Getting to his feet, he made a run for it, but impale rounds exploded in the dirt around him.

He saw Manchez and his bikers fleeing, and ran for them. Leaping onto the bike, he saw a nearby bike explode. They rushed through the Omega Squadron net, blasting their way through the group. For a few terrible moments, they were speeding through the hills, as the screams of his men echoed behind him.

A couple of dozen men had managed to hitch rides on the vultures in the chaos, and more when you considered the pilots. But they were unarmed, and it was only a matter of time before Omega Squadron came looking for them.

'What now boss?' asked Manchez.

'We go into hiding.' said Dufranz. 'We've got a couple of places to hole up; we'll head there and call for evac. Damn these Confederate bastards; we should have gone down fighting!'

'It wasn't your fault boss.' said Manchez. 'You didn't know they would break their word. Especially after they bailed us out from the zerg.'

'I'm sorry.' said Dufranz.

They rushed as long as they could to get away from Omega Squadron. Fortunately, the brown armored marines were busy wiping out the remaining zerg. They didn't think them worth the effort. Evac arrived, and the ragged remnants of the Kel'morian expedition limped back home.

The message had been sent. It was a satisfying victory. Even so, Ivan looked white and kept looking at Reikson nervously.

'You alright?' asked Reikson.

'Why did we save them if we were just going to kill them all?' asked Ivan.

'I suddenly remembered my orders.' said Reikson. 'Alan wants them all dead as an example to the rest of their slime. I always follow orders. If we'd let them go, they would have been back within a month. This way a few of them escaped to tell the others what happened. They'll think twice before they start something now.'

'Yes sir.' said Ivan.

Over the next few hours, Omega Squadron undertook multiple operations against the zerg. Over the next few days, reporters came and observed as Reikson's men crushed several more. Before long the zerg had been annihilated. The Kel'morian stragglers, though, slipped away and there was no time to search for them. So much the better.

News of the victory at Meinhoff raised public opinion of the Confederacy a bit. The myth that the Confederacy was collapsing in on itself was dispelled. As was the theory that they were incapable of defeating the zerg. The news made a field day of the victory. They lauded the Confederate Squadrons as unstoppable heroes. The battle of Meinhoff was soon expanded far beyond what it actually was. That in itself made it more valuable, of course.

The message proved effective as well. Several pirate groups which had been causing trouble in outlying regions backed off. Security was restored as a result.

Schezar reviewed Reikson's results with satisfaction. 'Excellent work Gregory. So long as we can avoid any more disasters like the one we suffered on Mar Sara, things should go smoothly now.' He paused. 'Still, I should leave a garrison behind just in case. For the colonies own security of course.'

'Right, I got ya.' said Reikson. 'I'll send my best lieutenant, Ordren to clamp down and weed out any more of the critters. He's been with me a while, figure he might like a vacation. Anything else?'

'I've received news that Duke has suppressed those of revolutionary mind.' said Schezar. 'His presence is preventing armed rebellion. It is a stop-gap measure of course, but we can work out a long term solution later. For now, I'll need you to be on the lookout for any more unfortunate incidents.'

'And what are you doing?' asked Reikson.

'I've made the arrangements with Cerberus Squadron.' said Schezar. 'Things should be ready within a few weeks. Samir Duran has been quite cooperative. Almost too cooperative, I think he is planning something. Even if he isn't, Arturro and the others are. Oh and I almost forgot, I want you to begin mobilizing for war. Start recruiting on a larger scale. We must have an ample supply of troops ready, in case we face a serious defeat.'

'Great,' said Reikson, 'I'll get in contact with New Folsom.'

Alan smiled. 'You do that. Oh, and Isabella is very pleased to hear about how well her nephew is doing.'

'But… I haven't even sent my report yet!' said Reikson.

'She does specialize in espionage.' noted Schezar.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Okay, next chapter we go back to the main story, I promise. I wanted to put this in here because the Confederacy lacks onscreen victories. Except for the Precursor Campaign. And that was all Alpha Squadron. I wanted to give Omega Squadron a definite win, and also foreshadow future events. The title itself is foreshadowing, by the way. Most of you have already guessed what happened in this chapter yourselves of course.

In the original fic, Reikson was a repulsive card-carrying villain. He was defined by his lack of scruples. He was too over the top. In this version, I decided to make him a sort of evil counterpart to Jim Raynor. Same casual demeanor, but sacrifices his men in droves and is more ruthless.


	17. Revolution

**Chapter Sixteen: Revolution**

 _Antiga Prime._

 _If Mar Sara was a prophecy of the Confederacy's fall, then Antiga Prime was where it all began to happen. Alpha Squadron had been discredited by inaction. Now Mengsk leaped at the chance to discredit them by action. Years of anti-Confederate sentiment boiling just below the surface exploded. They wrecked the Confederacy's myth of invulnerability beyond repair in an afternoon._

 _It's just a shame it had to happen while a slathering horde of alien locusts was invading the sector._

 **-Liberty's report**

* * *

The Hyperion far more full than it had been a month ago. In the past thirty-two days, Serena had watched as new recruits had come from all over to join the Sons of Korhal. The halls of the battlecruiser were filled with men going about their duties at all times. It was a far cry from the emptiness which had once filled it. Raynor and his men had been assigned to training the new recruits into proper soldiers. Meanwhile, Serena had been simply… there.

The problem was that they were coiling for a spring. The time still hadn't come for them to move and Mengsk was loathe to move too early. So here she was, familiarizing herself with books on strategy. They were very boring, but she felt obligated to study them, and Mengsk had insisted. She'd led a couple of raids on Confederate facilities to keep them in the news. However, the bulk of the Sons of Korhal's operations had been evacuating colonies. Onces' which came under assault by the zerg and didn't warrant Confederate attention.

Serena and Raynor were using sent down to cause a ruckus in the zerg ranks. The dropships would pull the colonists onto a fleet of transports. Serena did not know where the transports took those they saved. But she did know what happened to the colonies. Hours after they were evaced, protoss warships would arrive. They would purge the world in question. Though they were never so destructive in their bombardments as they had been on Chau Sara.

These missions would take a day or so, at most, and what would then follow would be long periods of boredom. Fortunately, the Hyperion had a pinball machine. Serena spent a lot of time playing that when not otherwise occupied. No sign had been seen of Lieutenant Kerrigan during this. When asked about it Mengsk would only, so she was productively occupied.

Now, at last, the time had come for something new. They had taken up orbit around the world of Antiga Prime, a fringe world, but a large one. A must larger percentage of the planet's surface had life on it. Serena knew that it had an extensive industrial capacity. Now here they were in the halls of a moon base situated upon an island, with two bridges leading over a river. A highly defensible position, and with support. Said support came from small communities of locals who dwelled on the moon itself.

Serena entered the meeting room and sat down across from Raynor. He was clad in that military uniform which did not at all look right on him. Nor did he seem to feel particularly right. Though he'd been glad to take the position as a Captain of the Sons of Korhal when it had been offered. At the far end of the table was a TV monitor. She wondered what it was for.

'Hey man,' said Raynor, 'headquarters has begun analysis of the discs. They expect to have them decoded shortly. I hope whatever's on those discs is worth it.'

'I can't believe it took us a month to get qualified hackers.' muttered Serena. It had been an exhaustive search, for the data discs were heavily encrypted, far beyond the ability of most hackers. The code itself rewrote itself to a new defense or something. Serena didn't know the first thing about hacking. 'Who is this Orlon guy anyway?'

'Mercenary,' said Raynor, 'fought with him in a couple of battles during the Guild Wars. Worked with him once or twice during my stint as a pirate. Real good at hacking databases. Took me a while to track him down or I would have spoken up earlier.'

'Do you think he's trustworthy?' asked Serena.

'I think he knows what Arcturus Mengsk will do to him if he cheats him.' said Raynor. 'The last person who tried that was found hanging outside his fortified bunker. Pretty sure that part wasn't Confederate propaganda, there was footage.'

'I remember that.' said Serena. 'I think he was uh… he was a Jake Corain wasn't it? He was assigned to providing shipments to one of Mengsk's secret bases. He sold information on its whereabouts in exchange for protection. The money didn't do him much good, did it?'

The door opened with a hiss and into the room strode Arcturus Mengsk. He looked dignified and affable as always. He also looked very pleased, though not with himself. 'You and Captain Raynor have done well, Commander.' said Mengsk. 'I believe our efforts have weakened the Confederacy's grip on the fringe worlds. But our job out here isn't done yet. Lieutenant Kerrigan, my second in command, will elaborate.'

He raised a remote and turned on the television.

Kerrigan appeared on the screen. Where had she been all this time anyway? Wouldn't a telepathic ninja have been of some use to them in their endeavors thus far? Serena suspected that Jake Corain had also received a late night visit from Kerrigan. Doubtless, it had been less pleasant than her own.

'I'll get straight to the point.' said Kerrigan, a large city behind her on a cliff. 'Our sources tell us that Antiga Prime is ready to begin open revolt against the Confederacy of Man. Unfortunately, the Confederates seem to be aware of this as well. They've stationed a large detachment of Alpha Squadron troops there, under the Command of General Duke.'

'Well, he hasn't changed much.' reflected Serena. 'Making a nuisance of himself to 'fringe yokels' as usual.'

'It will be your job, Commander,' said Mengsk, 'to free this colony and show our good intent to the Antigan people. Lieutenant Kerrigan will help you deal with Duke's officers. The rest of the Confederates are yours to deal with.' Mengsk never called her by name. Perhaps he found something offensive about it.

Whatever the case Serena smiled. 'Perfect.'

She'd meant to get even with General Edmund Duke for some time now. This was her chance.

* * *

The sun was shrouded beneath a mask of clouds flowing overhead the highlands. The red-armored soldiers of the Sons of Korhal made their way south across the badlands. Antiga Prime's Capital City was near. The sun gleaming off their polished armor. Raynor ran a tight ship, despite his somewhat casual demeanor. Along their left flank was a river which ran fast and sure along their side. It was too deep to wade across and would have been troublesome to sail on.

'I wish I had a boat.' said Serena as they walked.

'Hmm?' said Raynor, directing his vulture.

'A boat.' said Serena. 'I want to try sailing on that river.'

'You've been on a boat?' asked Raynor. 'Those things became obsolete centuries ago.'

'Yeah,' said Serena 'but some people still do it for pleasure. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a submarine captain when I grew up. They still use submarines you know. Sometimes fuel pipelines go under the water, and they need someone to do maintenance.

Do you think there is a military use for them?'

'Probably not.' mused Raynor. 'These days everything is in the air or in space. Relying on being in the water is a major weakness.'

'I guess.' said Serena. 'But it might have the element of surprise.'

'Fair enough.' said Raynor. 'Maybe we can do something like that one of his days.'

The naming conventions on Antiga Prime were not exactly the most original. But they still have the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness as much as anyone else. Which given the state of the sector, wasn't a sure thing at all but that was beside the point.

They trudged onward.

Serena sighed. 'This is boring.'

'Well I'm sure it'll get exciting soon enough, darling.' said Raynor.

'I told you not to call me that.' said Serena.

'Right, sorry.' said Raynor as they pressed on.

Serena reflected to herself that she liked Raynor. But not in a manner where it would be appropriate for him to call her darling. She was more interested in doing her job anyway; she didn't have time for a relationship. If she did, she would have been in an arranged marriage years ago.

Then out of thin air came Kerrigan, now clad in a skintight gray ghost jumpsuit. It accentuated her curves, which were actually quite impressive. From a rational standpoint, of course, Serena was attracted to both sexes. She had been engineered that way, as a bonus to whatever marriage was arranged. It was traditional among the Old Families that husbands would have mistresses. It was a general opinion among most males that girl on girl was hot. Children were born in test tubes from the DNA of their parents in the upper echelons of Tarsonis. Sexual preference was considered an important decision. One the parents had to make for their child.

'Captain Raynor,' said Kerrigan as she approached, holding a canister rifle. 'I finished scouting out the area and-' A blush came onto her features. 'You pig!'

'What?' said Raynor. 'I haven't even said anything to you yet.' Serena scoffed to herself. If Kerrigan didn't want people to gawk at her, she shouldn't wear provocative clothing. Surely it was possible to make a ghost suit which didn't look like it's purpose was to be stripped off.

'Yeah, but you were thinking it.' said Kerrigan, ignoring her.

'Oh, yeah, you're a telepath.' said Raynor. 'Look, let's just get on with this okay.'

What business of Kerrigan's was it what other people thought of her anyway? Serena had been ogled and objectified for most of her teenage years. That didn't mean she went around treating other people like dirt about it. She treated other people like dirt because they were, stupid, or insufferable. Or getting in the way of her mission. Those were reasons to insult someone.

Not because they had an infuriating cowboy gunslinger complex. And not because they found you sexually appealing. But because they wore an outfit which made them look sexy and then got pissy when someone thought she did. Because she was a professional murderer. One whose job description was killing people who spoke out of turn. Someone who had the nerve to get preachy when someone thought out of turn.

What a bitch.

'You know I can hear everything you are thinking right?' asked Kerrigan.

'I'd be disappointed if you couldn't.' said Serena.

Kerrigan let it pass and began to brief them on what she had found while they walked. 'Alpha Squadron has set up a line of bunkers at the base of the cliffs. No one is allowed in or out of the city except through them. The officers are all in the command center at the top of the hill.'

'Wonderful,' said Serena, 'so what is the plan exactly? Aside from a frontal assault, I mean. Arcturus was a bit vague on that.'

'Simple enough,' said Kerrigan, 'I have contacts in the Antigans. As soon as we remove the officers they'll start the revolution. I need you to keep Alpha Squadron focused on you while I slip in.'

'That doesn't sound too difficult.' mused Serena.

'Have you ever assaulted a line of bunkers, Serena?' asked Raynor.

'No.' said Serena. 'But I have attacked sunken colonies and watched them tear men in half. Watching someone get shot will be less traumatic.' Then, to screw with Kerrigan, she brought to mind the memories of all the horrors which she had seen.

'Good point.' said Raynor.

Kerrigan was showing no obvious reaction to Serena's thoughts. She tried ramping them up, and Kerrigan smiled before looking at her. 'You are wasting your time; you know that, right?' she asked.

'I work with the tools I'm given.' said Serena. 'Assassinate me.'

'You are trying to haze me with your experiences with the zerg.' said Kerrigan. 'It's not going to work. I led several operations against the zerg on Mar Sara to cull the outlying clusters. Without me, you would have had another fight on your hands in less than a month.

'I know what they're capable of. And I've seen things that are a lot worse.'

'And yet you are still staging an open rebellion against the Confederacy.' mused Serena.

'You are too.' noted Kerrigan.

'Ah, but at no point during this whole affair have I pretended to be in this for ideological reasons.' said Serena with a shrug. 'I'm here by ultimatum, not choice. A choice between safety and glory. Obscurity and fame. I choose to go to Mar Sara to advance my career. When the Confederacy blocked my progress, I had no choice but to join the Sons of Korhal.

'I haven't had the luxury of choosing who we work for.'

'You think I had a choice?' asked Kerrigan. 'Let me tell you something, Ms. Calabas. I haven't had a choice in my entire life. While you were-' She fell silent. 'You're a bad liar; you know that, even to yourself. You didn't join the Sons of Korhal to avoid charges, and you didn't do it because it was the right thing to do.

'It doesn't take a telepath to know that much.' She glanced at Jim, then turned and kept walking.

That was it. Serena found herself in a foul mood and wanted more than ever to disturb the telepath. It was personal at this stage. Yet it was obvious that the run of the mill horrors wouldn't be enough. An idea occurred to her, and she thought of the Infested Terran Command Center. She thought of things that had once been human mutated and twisted. Turned into inhuman monstrosities. existing only to die. She thought of the way the tendrils had taken a place which had once been clean and full of life. It had twisted it into a den of horrors. She thought of Idren, maintaining just enough of his sanity to beg for death. Even as it happened, Serena felt tears coming to her eyes. But she blinked them back and continued to broadcast her emotions.

Kerrigan had never seen anything like that. Serena could tell by the way her face went white, as she turned to face her. 'I had no idea that they… those things did that to humans.' Then she regained her composure. 'You are a very sick person you know that? There are very few people disturbed and petty enough to use their own trauma just to haze a telepath.'

'I'm a low level psychic.' said Serena. 'The lowest level above normals. I know how to broadcast my emotions, and I can sort of detect when other people are there. Mostly I'm just good at influencing people.'

'Shouldn't you be in the ghost program then?' asked Raynor, voice guarded.

'Her level of psychic falls under the radar all the time.' said Kerrigan. 'Finding them isn't as much of a priority, and they're a lot less obvious. Of course, they're usually less open about the fact.'

'But if she knows about the fact, the Confederates sure as hell must have known.' said Raynor, oddly involved. 'And why would you be open about the fact? You have any idea what they do to ghosts? I mean I don't, but I've heard some rumors-'

'They don't even begin to describe what they do to us.' said Kerrigan, voice cold. 'Mengsk saved me from all that. That's why I work for him.'

'I'm part of the Old Families.' said Serena. 'Does it really surprise you that they would ignore their own rules?'

Raynor's face went white with fury, and for a moment Serena thought he would strike her. Kerrigan took a few steps backward, while Raynor clenched his fist. Then he closed his eyes and shook his head. 'Let's just focus on the road ahead, okay.'

'Are you alright?' asked Serena as they pressed on.

'Yeah, fine.' said Raynor. 'My uh… I wasn't always alone. For a while I was… married. I had a wife, Lidya, and a son, John. He was very young, and he showed signs of psionic potential.

'He was taken by the Confederate ghost program. Of course, it was something else by another name, but we knew what it meant. We never heard from him again, and my wife she just… gave up on life.'

'I'm sorry.' said Serena.

'It's fine.' said Raynor. 'We're getting closer to Antiga we'd better stay alert.'

Soon enough they came to a bridge and Kerrigan led them across it at a distance. She stopped as they saw a series of anti-air missile turrets. Serena assumed that this was the reason they had been forced to land so far west of Antiga Prime. A troop of Alpha Squadron soldiers made their way forward to ready their guns.

'Wax them.' said Serena, raising her gun and blasting the leader down.

A frag grenade landed amongst the enemy from Raynor's bike. It and exploded, killing several of them and the last two were shot dead by Kerrigan. Moving forward over the bridge Serena sighed in disgust. 'This is unbelievable! Mar Sarans wouldn't have left this bridge so lightly defended. We'd have set up bunkers here, and this expedition would never have gotten off the ground. This is unbelievably incompetent.'

'Oh, I hate these things.' said Kerrigan, looking up at the towers. 'They can sense me even when I'm cloaked. We should take these out.'

'Belay that order.' said Serena. 'Leave the missile turrets standing.'

Kerrigan looked at her incredulously.

'What?' said Serena. 'Once we take control of the planet we can take control of the turrets and use them for ourselves. I'm not interested in crippling this planets defenses. Not just to satiate your pathological hatred of things that detect cloaked things.'

'I'm in command here.' said Kerrigan. 'And I say we destroy them.'

'And what brings you to that conclusion?' asked Serena.

'I'm second in command of the Sons of Korhal.' said Kerrigan. 'I was part of this operation long before you joined.'

'Excellent point,' said Serena, 'however, counterpoint, Mengsk said that you would deal with Duke's officers. That the rest of the Confederates are mine to deal with. That statement implies that I am in command in tactical matters.

'Leave. The. Turrets. Standing.'

There was a moment between them. Kerrigan realized that those here with them had been trained by Raynor. And Raynor would likely side with Serena.

'…Fine.' said Kerrigan. 'Let's move out then.'

Nothing happened.

'Alright everyone,' said Serena, 'let's move out.'

Everyone began to make their way past the still standing missile turrets. At the far side of it was a lone vulture who was standing alone. The man gunned his engines as if readying for a charge. Serena looked to Raynor.

'Raynor I want you to destroy that vulture in single combat on my behalf.' said Serena.

'Sounds fun.' said Raynor.

'Why?' asked Kerrigan. 'What is the point of engaging him in single combat?'

'Clearly, you've never read any books on King Arthur.' mused Serena. 'I'd tie a scarf around your arm, Jim, but I'm currently clad in power armor.'

Raynor drove forward to meet the Vulture, who surged forward as well. Both shot their grenades at each other, and they passed each other by. Raynor screeched to a halt on the far side of the bridge. The Vulture toppled over and exploded into a rose of red light. A cheer came from the men as Raynor turned and waved.

The soldiers made their way forward across the bridge and into the trees. They walked through a terraformed forest. Serena looked at the genetically engineered trees in wonder. 'You know these trees are something of a miracle of modern science.'

'What do you mean?' asked Raynor. 'They're just trees.'

'No they're not.' said Serena. 'In the old days' trees grow over a course of many years, even a century. But these ones? They grow in a matter of months in conditions which should be unlivable. Without these terraforming planets to become livable would take decades longer. The technology for these things has been around since we terrans came here.

'You know sometimes I think people are too focused on the military application for things. They lose sight of the majesty of some things we've accomplished.'

'It's a genetically engineered tree.' scoffed Kerrigan. 'There are a million like it on a million worlds. You might as well say the zerg are majestic.'

'An organic creature who can run at the speed of a vehicle, and whose claws can tear through neo steel?' asked Serena. 'You know, you may be right. If we'd made the things and they weren't trying to kill us, I'm sure we could find all kinds of uses for them.' She pushed images of Idren out of her mind.

'That was sarcasm.' said Kerrigan.

'Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.' said Serena.

'Quiet,' said Kerrigan, 'there is are Confederate wraiths coming.' Where had she come from?

They all fell silent as the low hum of wraiths could be heard. Soon enough the wraiths surged overhead. They were large plane like ships which surged overhead. Beneath the branches of the trees, they were hidden from sight entirely. Serena narrowed her eyes as the wraiths flew into the distance.

'What is going on?' Serena asked. 'Why would they be moving away from Antiga Prime's Capital… what is it called?'

'Antiga Prime I think.' said Raynor.

'Right,' said Serena, 'okay point still stands. What are they deploying wraiths to fight?'

'We don't have time for that.' said Kerrigan. 'Whatever it is we're facing out there, we can deal with it later.'

It was the zerg, wasn't it? Serena projected the thought as they broke from cover. She knew Kerrigan heard her from the way her posture changed. Had Mengsk overlooked this important detail as well? Or had he timed his assault in the hopes of catching Alpha Squadron in a two-front war? It made a great deal of sense from a tactical perspective. Serena had reservations about using the zerg as allies.

'The bunker formation is there.' said Kerrigan. 'I've got to signal my contact.'

Serena looked at it, somewhat impressed despite herself. The bunkers had been set up in line after line, wedged between the river and the cliff face. On top of the cliffs themselves could be seen many other bunkers as well. No wonder Mengsk wanted to take this place by stealth. It would take siege or numbers far greater than what they had here to take by brute force.

Kerrigan made her way forward and raised it. Then there came a flash from the top of the cliffs, like that of a mirror. She turned to them. 'That's the signal. I'll need you and Captain Raynor to launch the assault while I get in. Once I've dealt with the Confederate Officers, the Antigans will seize those bunkers. They'll open fire on the Confederates from above.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'alright men, fan out and ready yourselves for a frontal assault. Raynor, I want you to be the first one in, that bike of yours takes punishment like nothing else. Try to draw Alpha Squadron's fire away from us.'

'Right, I'm the tank I got ya.' said Raynor.

'Set incendiary rounds.' said Serena. 'Let's move.'

They rushed forward, Raynor in the lead. Soon enough there was gauss fire coming from the bunkers, and it pinged off the surface of the vulture. Kerrigan faded into thin air, the only trace of her a glimmer in the darkness. Then the marines were in position and opening fire. For a few terrible moments, they poured fire on the bunker, sustaining fire in turn. A man was shot dead next to Serena, and another one a little further down. Half a dozen others soon followed.

Flames began to catch on the bunker, and a small flaring turned into a full on blaze. Before long men were fleeing from the bunker and shot down as the inferno consumed it at last. Then a voice came in over the radio. A cry of pain and the shot of a gun came out over the radio.

'I've taken care of business on this end, Commander.' said Kerrigan, seemingly in a good mood. 'I think the Antigans are ready to back us up too.'

'That's right.' said a gruff voice. 'We've tolerated these Confederate goons long enough!'

At that moment gauss fire came down upon the Alpha Squadron forces from above. Turning they fired back, their shots bouncing off the cliff face. Serena opened a channel. 'All forces advance to support the Antigans! Let's move people!'

What followed could hardly be called a fight. Alpha Squadron was outnumbered, outgunned and outmaneuvered in every way. Serena's forces were the hammer against the Antigans anvil. Soon they had crushed the forces of Alpha Squadron within the base of the cliffs. As Serena came up to the top of the cliff and entered the Command Center, she looked at the trail of corpses.

Many had been done with a knife.

Kerrigan appeared, and Serena felt a surge of contempt for her blood-stained visage. 'Any reason you couldn't have staged a low profile assassination? Or do you just enjoy having blood on your hands?' The ghost program should never have existed; it was a moral abomination.

'Sorry I exist.' said Kerrigan. 'I killed these men because the Antigan Militia leaders had been captured. If I hadn't, they might have been executed.'

'You could have knocked them unconscious.' noted Serena, 'Most of them weren't even wearing power armor. Or did you not think that would look cool enough?' She opened a channel. 'Arcturus, we've taken control of Antiga Prime's capital. We're standing ready to receive Mr. Liberty. You can send him down anytime.'

'Excellent work,' said Arcturus, 'regrettably my scanners are detecting a large Confederate strike force. They're advancing on your position. You are about to have company.'

'Well they're not wasting any time.' said Kerrigan.

Antiga Prime had been liberated. Now the only question was if they could hold it.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Not sure if I'm going to end up posting this version in the end. Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I'm not sure why I had Serena dislike Kerrigan so much. Things just kind of worked out that way. Maybe a reason will make itself apparent; maybe she just hates ghosts. Next chapter we have the actual battle with Alpha Squadron.

Also, the revelation about Jim's wife and son was added at the last minute. The original version was far sillier.


	18. Payback

**Chapter Seventeen: Payback**

 _The attack on Alpha Squadron was revenge, plain and simple. People who had been forced for years to bow to the whims of a government of corrupt fat cats had a chance to beat them. Almost as soon as the flag of rebellion was raised it got thousands of recruits._

 _It was a nasty bit of fighting. If Alpha Squadron lost, the Confederacy would lose still more credibility. If the Sons of Korhal lost, their golden opportunity would have passed them by. Everyone was committed to the fight._

 _In a matter of hours, the showdown was finished. Mengsk had come back with a vengeance._

 **Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

Alpha Squadron had an ETA of twenty-three minutes and Serena Calabas meant to use them. In the past seven minutes, Michael Liberty had made a broadcast to Antiga Prime. It signaled the beginning of a full-on revolution. Every major population center had risen in revolt. Across the planet, the Confederate garrisons were thrown out or killed. That was the good news. The bad news was the Lieutenant Emily Swallow had crushed one city's part in the rebellion. The Confederate occupation had resumed there.

Across the planet, Alpha Squadron was mobilizing to continue this run of success. Serena was in charge of making sure that didn't happen in the capital. To that end, the first thing she did was drive the circumference of the city with Raynor. She wanted to get a feel for the ground and was pleased to discover that they were on very strong ground indeed. Even so, there were several notable flaws in the defense. Holes which were visible only to her as men scurried to and fro preparing for the assault. Still, this was more than made up for by the factories which were available here.

Antiga Prime was a much larger colony than Mar Sara. It had a much larger population of nearly two hundred thousand people. There was a much stronger industrial base. It had become rich during the Guild Wars by producing weapons for the Confederacy. Even after the end of the Guild Wars, it had made a steady living. Though they also sold to various special interest groups on the side.

'Commander Calabas?' said a gruff looking man in marine armor, whose voice she recognized. He was physically imposing and had a scar on his left cheek.

'Yes, that is me.' said Serena.

'I'm Captain Rockmore of the Antigan Militia.' said the man. 'Lieutenant Kerrigan tells me I'm supposed to surrender command of Antiga Prime to you. I got news from my man Gui. He says you're a pretty good commander and helped them out of a tight spot.'

'Well that much is true.' said Serena. 'Though he helped me a great deal as well. Well, my first order of business is that you are to begin construction of weapons and armor to equip a new army. Begin production of wraiths as well. Commandeer some civilian dropships to carry troops over the river there.

'I want our industry mobilized to begin producing. I'll have the details sent down to you from the Hyperion.

'I'm told that is where Alpha Squadron will be staging its invasion.'

'Right,' said Rockmore doubtfully, 'well that's pretty long term. Ain't no way we'll get all that ready in twenty-three minutes.'

'I'm thinking of the long game here.' said Serena. 'Speaking of which, I have another order. As of this moment, every able-bodied person between sixteen and sixty are now drafted. They'll train on weekends and be called up for service thirty days a year. More in a crisis like this. We'll see about equipping them soon enough, for now, we need the pool of manpower.

'In a more immediate variety of order, I need you to set up defenses on the eastern section of this cliff. Alpha Squadron could combat drop troops onto it and flank us.

'And man the bunkers to the south by the river. Put up some missile turrets in case the Confederates send cloaked wraiths. And make sure everyone is equipped with U 203 rounds, they should be standard issue.'

'Right,' said Rockmore, 'anything else, your highness?'

'Yes, I need a crown.' said Serena. 'Only joking of course. Can you imagine how gaudy that would look on a marine suit? No, I'll leave you to organize the defense of Antiga Prime yourself. This is good ground, Alpha Squadron will need heavy weaponry to take it or overwhelming force.

'You picked an excellent spot for a revolution.'

'That was the idea.' said Rockmore. 'You just handle taking care of that base. We'll take care of the defense.'

'I'm glad we understand each other.' said Serena with a smile. 'Good luck.'

Then she made her way over to where Raynor and Kerrigan were. They were looking over a holographic map beneath the shade of a cloth canopy. Raynor smiled. 'Hey man, what's the plan?'

'Hold our position for now.' said Serena. 'I'm not going to mobilize the Antigans for an assault. We'd have to either leave the defenses badly depleted, or take too long to gather forces. We'll use the Sons of Korhal for the main assault.'

'That's probably for the best.' admitted Kerrigan. 'It will look better in the news, and will give them some combat experience. Liberty should have a field day reporting this if it works.'

Serena remained silent for a long time, zooming the map out to show the current situation. It didn't take a telepath to figure out what everyone was thinking. It wasn't enough to stage a rebellion, or even to throw the Confederates out of a city. The Antigans had lost one round, and if they lost another, the rest would back down or go into hiding. The Sons of Korhal had to show they could outright beat them, or this revolution would fizzle out.

'Well that is his job.' said Serena. 'To provide our own brand of propaganda to a sector in need of variety. We need a victory. What do our scanner sweeps of the Confederate's show?'

'They have a well-defended base.' said Kerrigan, zooming the map down to reveal a heavily fortified base. Many marines and goliaths were patrolling it, but no tanks. 'But we should still be able to take it. The frontal approach is heavily guarded by missile turrets. But there is a Confederate Mining operation to the east which is not nearly as well protected.'

'I reckon we could land troops near the mine, then cross the bridge here to assault the Command Center.' mused Raynor. 'It might take a bit of fighting but we could seize the ground.'

'We don't have to fight.' said Kerrigan. 'They have no detectors down there. If we call in Lieutenant Horner with his wraiths and launch a strike they should be able to-'

There was the sound of gauss fire that cut them off. Serena looked up to see Alpha Squadron dropships landing troops. They were disembarking on the field below the cliffs. Running to the edge she saw them charge in great ranks towards the only way up the cliff. Their armor gleamed in the sun. Their soldiers moved on, guns lowered heedless of the danger, heedless of the threat. There was something glorious about it.

They came within range and gauss fire erupted from the bunkers. Alpha Squadron advanced bravely, they fired their guns bravely. They died bravely. Yet on they came by the hundreds, refusing to give in to fear. Relentless in their approach of Antiga. For a moment Serena thought for sure that they would make the hill, damn the odds.

In a story, they should have.

Yet bravery was not enough and this was not a story. Not one of Alpha Squadron's assault force reached the hill. Hundreds now lay dead on the fields, torn to pieces by relentless gauss fire.

'Poor bastards.' said Raynor. 'Never had a chance.'

They made their way back to the meeting table. Serena realized that this was no battle against unholy abominations. It was a war between humans, and humans were dying. Men with families, friends, loved ones. Personalities hopes and dreams. Now many of those men were gone, gunned down in a desperate assault upon an impenetrable defense.

Kerrigan looked impatient to continue the mission.

'You were saying?' asked Serena.

'I think that we should call in a cloaked wraith strike on the mining operation.' said Kerrigan. 'They should be able to destroy everything in the area with relative ease. Once the wraiths have cleared the way, we can bring our dropships. We'll land our troops and advance west to bring the fight to the Confederates.'

'That sounds like an excellent idea to me.' said Serena, before opening communication to the Hyperion. 'Mengsk this is Calabas, the dropships we requested have arrived. Now I need a cloaked airstrike on the following coordinates.' She said the coordinates.

'It should be scorched earth,' said Kerrigan, 'we should blow everything up kill everyone.'

'Isn't that a bit much darling?' asked Raynor.

'Lieutenant Kerrigan is correct.' said Mengsk. 'We should do a complete wipe on that area. We'll make it clear we're as ruthless with our enemies as we are benevolent with our friends. Once we gain a victory, it will slant the neutrals on our side. I'm dispatching Matt Horner to support you.'

'I don't like this.' said Raynor.

'Liking an order is not the same as following it.' said Kerrigan. 'We'd probably better get ready to assault the Alpha Squadron base. This will have to be done quickly.'

'Then let's get to it.' said Serena.

* * *

Emily Swallow had been busy since she arrived on Antiga Prime. At first, her assignment had been to purge the zerg hives which Duke had located. It had been a rerun of Chau Sara. She'd met with a great deal of success, even if at Duke's insistence she had not led from the front. When rebellion spread across Antiga Prime she had personally led an assault on a Sons of Korhal base. She'd put down the rebellion in a winning success.

Yet, even so, things were still going badly. Caught between the Sons of Korhal and the zerg swarm Alpha Squadron was stretched thin. They were unable to deploy their heavy equipment against the rebels in a timely fashion. So here she was, trying to get the men together. Her predecessor had led a heroic assault on the enemy from the front and been killed.

'It was really brave of him.' She murmured as she stared at the map. 'But not all that smart.'

'This is dropship Orion.' said a pilot over the radio. 'I've checked the eastern flank. The Sons of Korhal have set up heavy defenses on that side.'

'Damn,' said Emily, looking to her men, 'we're not launching any more assaults on those cliffs. If we can drag this out until reinforcements arrive it will go better.'

'Ma'am!' said a soldier over the radio. 'This is outpost 31A! We're under assault by wraiths! We can't see them, Ma'am!'

'Get a com scan in that region and reroute goliaths to that position.' ordered Emily.

'We can't ma'am,' said a soldier, 'our comsat station is on the fritz.'

'They're killing us!' screamed a soldier. 'What do we do?'

'Pull out!' said Emily. 'Withdraw all forces to the main base!' She widened the channel. 'All troops mobilize and prepare to defend against a Sons of Korhal assault! We have to hold them here!'

She looked east and she could see the Command Center being burned to a cinder. The SCV's and garrison units were withdrawing towards them. Maybe they would make it? Then Emily's hopes fell. Even now the Sons of Korhal surged after them, firing into them. Several died in moments and more died after them.

At last, they reached the range of the missile turrets, which turned and opened fired. Several of the wraiths were obliterated in only a moment. Several more fell to the ground to become blackened wreckage. The rest limped away. Good.

Emily looked to the soldiers now lining up around. Sloppy, their performance was sloppy. With the losses on Chau Sara a large part of Alpha Squadron's numbers was depleted. Now spread thin as they were many men had been rushed through their training just to fill out the ranks. Cursing to herself she drew up her gun and marched forward.

'Form up!' she called. 'Form up! Marines in front! Goliaths behind! Wraiths screen our air space! Sensor towers scan for the enemy!'

'There they are ma'am!' said a soldier.

The Sons of Korhal dropships came like buzzards. They surged out of the horizon to land on the ground in which the mining camp had once stood. Out of them swarmed rank after rank of red-clad soldiers. And with them a familiar red-haired ghost. Emily had met her on Mar Sara, spoken to her, known she was up to no good, and let her go.

And here she was. With her was Marshall Raynor, leading the charge in his vulture as he had on Mar Sara. Yeah, they were real heroes. They were attacking civilian mining operations in the first stage of their glorious liberation. Fucking hypocrites. She raised her gun and aimed as both sides arrayed themselves.

'Open fire!' called Emily.

The hoplites of Ancient Greece might have recognized the resulting battle. Masses of heavily armored warriors formed in a close formation. They lay waste to each other in brutal destruction. Impaler rounds bounced off their chest plates and denting them badly. The giant robots were something new, though.

Fortunately, they were on their side.

Emily took her shot. She aimed for a familiar red head.

Sarah Kerrigan screamed out in pain. She fell down on the ground from where she was standing behind the enemy lines. Emily turned her rifle and trailed it on Raynor's vulture. It was racing towards Kerrigan. The bike had sustained heavy damage, but she wasn't aiming for the bike. She fired again. Her shot glanced off the side of Raynor's bike and ricocheted to hit Raynor himself. He fell from the bike, wounded, and several men barred her from finishing them.

The exchange of gauss fire was deafening. Dozens of men on both sides had their armor beaten apart, and were killed with every passing moment. This was the part where the Sons of Korhal broke. Their officers were down, they had taken horrific casualties! They should have broken! That was what had always happened before.

Yet these were not like the others, she realized. They had been well trained like Alpha Squadron. Now as the two forces devastated each other. The screams of the dying filled the air, as wraiths dueled in the skies above. Goliaths exploded and vultures launched their grenades.

Emily Swallow realized that Alpha Squadron had met its match.

What the Sons of Korhal lacked in discipline they made up for in raw fury. The devotion they felt to their cause had not been programmed into them from rebirth. It had been grown naturally and fostered with dreams and stern words. The hatred they felt for the Confederacy was not created with machines. It was born of long abuse, of years beaten down by an exploitative system. One that Emily had served for as long as she could remember.

So it was that for the first time in its history, Alpha Squadron troops broke ranks and fled.

The Sons of Korhal were fast to pursue and Emily knew at once that they had lost. 'All forces pull back! Mobile buildings lift off and retreat to the nearest friendly base! Quickly, we've lost, but we'll get our own back soon enough!'

Emily didn't believe it. She didn't believe anything anymore.

* * *

It had been a terrible battle. Alpha Squadron had given as good as it got, at least until they had broken. Then, true to a battle between phalanx's, the real slaughter began. The Sons of Korhal who had held their formation now took their revenge. Many were gunned down as they fled.

Raynor and Kerrigan had both been shot by someone with really good aim. Both were alive, though Kerrigan almost didn't make it. Jim had patched her up personally while still bleeding and only then tended to himself. Now Alpha Squadron was withdrawing. Their Command Center and barracks were lifting off even now.

'Hold!' said Serena. 'Do not pursue!'

'What are you doing?!' asked Kerrigan from where she lay on the ground. 'We have them on the run!'

'We've achieved our objective.' said Serena. 'They're broken. And if we advance too quickly, we'll set ourselves up for an ambush.'

'Sounds good to me.' said Raynor, voice grim. He was bandaged, but still standing. 'We've paid em' back well enough for Mar Sara. Good job boys! Let's bury our dead and get back to Antiga Prime! Drinks are on me!'

Resounding cheers came from the troops. Few things roused spirits like the prospect of beer and partying. It was a terran hereditary tradition.

Kerrigan watched, dissatisfied with their victory. Alpha Squadron had been beaten. But it was not destroyed and even now were mobilizing for a counterattack. Calabas had done it just to spite her. And that bitch who shot her had gotten away with them. Swallow might have saved a lot of lives on Chau Sara, but she was a lethal enemy.

With both Serena and Raynor unwilling to listen she talked to Arcturus. 'Calabas let them get away, Arcturus. And I can't read her at all. Her mind is always shifting and analyzing things without making it's intent clear. Not unless she wants me to know. She's nuts used her own trauma just to haze me.'

'Calm down Kerrigan,' said Mengsk, 'the situation is well in hand. Alpha Squadron has been largely repulsed and it will be some days before they are able to move against us. In the meantime, while it may be unpleasant I have some special orders for you.'

'Yeah?' asked Kerrigan, not liking where this was going.

'You remember those experiments you were put through?' asked Arcturus. 'I was wondering if you might try to replicate the result…'

* * *

It was a grim scene on the bridge of Alpha Squadron flagship Norad II as the reports came in. Casualties were high, and results were low. Ensigns scanned through things while Duke watched. Watched as open rebellion broke out, and his boys, his Alpha Squadron, were helpless to stop it. If they had just let him take out the zerg on Mar Sara it might have delayed things. Long enough for him to train his recruits.

Now… now it was all falling into ruins.

'This is Swallow!' said Emily over the com. 'We've been repulsed from the capital! The Sons of Korhal aren't pursuing us, but we're in need of safe haven! Are there any friendly bases we can harbor at?!'

'Sir,' said an officer, 'Jack Kennedy is on the line. A lot of his flight has been shot down, and the Sons of Korhal have seized his main base. He is requesting a home base to land at.'

Duke scanned over things silent. 'Tell them to head to base 36B. Tell all remaining squadrons to meet up there. Scrap existing mission objectives and meet up. Then put in a call to Delta Squadron, ask Schezar to send help.'

'Sir,' said the officer, '36B is located near the primary zerg hives. It was established as a forward base.'

'I know.' said Duke. 'If the Sons of Korhal see us there they may decide to let us and the zerg fight it out. It'll buy some time I think. I'm getting too old for this.'

'All of a sudden the ship shook and the screens were filled with static. Through the window Duke could see them losing altitude, descending towards the planet. 'Ensign, get us back up!'

'I can't sir!' said an ensign. 'Our primary thrust systems have shot out! Some new strain of zerg did a suicide run! We're going down!'

'Can we make a controlled landing?' asked Duke.

'Maybe,' said the ensign, 'but… we're going to land near the zerg hives.'

They were dead. But Duke could take a few of them with him. 'Aim the Norad II for the hive cluster nearest to 36B. Then brace for impact.'

They weren't taking General Edmund Duke without a fight.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

So yeah in my original version of this scene I removed the fight between Alpha Squadron and the Sons of Korhal. The reason I did this was out of a desire to make General Edmund Duke out to be as unstoppable a commander as I could. That way when the zerg and the UED manage to defeat him in open battle it was an actual achievement.

While going through this I decided not to go that route. Mostly because the terran vs terran conflict is the main plot of Rebel Yell. I also wanted to make things darker.

Also, Jack Kennedy was supposed to bite it in this mission, but I decided to give him more scenes to make his death have more impact. Then I decided to spare him, since there was no good place to include his death.


	19. Norad II

**Chapter Eighteen: Norad II**

 _It took a while to stop seeing red over the corpses of a couple thousand Alpha Squadron troops. Then we realized they might have been doing something other than oppressing us. When we learned that Alpha Squadron was about to be torn to bits by zerg there was grim satisfaction all around._

 _Alpha Squadron was in exactly the same position that Mar Sara had been. And people were eating the karma up._ _Even the usually heroic Jim Raynor wanted to leave them to stew in their own rot._

 _It was an incredibly short sighted viewpoint. Fortunately for us, Arcturus Mengsk was an opportunist. And he realized some enemies were better alive than dead._

 **-Liberty's report, volume I.**

* * *

The area which once held Alpha Squadron's main forward base now belonged to the Sons of Korhal. Even now the buildings had been repurposed to their own ends. Shuttles were being transported with new recruits from Antiga. Soon they would be trained in the use of weapons. A flurry of activity was taking place as more wraiths were put into the sky. Old storehouses where they had been sealed away were opened and dusted off. Marines were equipped in great numbers, mobilizing for an unexpected counterattack.

Yet none came and Serena knew why as she made her way through the base. She'd established a strong defensive positon. She had bunkers and missile turrets at the ready. However, the ground was not as good as on Antiga.

Raynor, Kerrigan, and Mengsk were waiting for her, the former two newly healed at the medbay. They needed to get some kind of portable medical non-portable ones' worked quickly. 'Why am I always the last person to get here?' she asked as she sat down.

'Not sure. Maybe you're just slow.' said Raynor.

'What precisely was it that you wanted to speak to us about, Commander?' asked Mengsk. 'You mentioned it was a matter of some importance.'

'Yes, it is.' said Serena. She set down some files and slid them across the table, then drew out a recording device. 'It appears the Confederates are in a state of panic regarding the Antigan revolt. My men picked up a high number of their transmissions going back and forth between their outposts and their headquarters on Tarsonis. Most of the transmissions are heavily coded of course, but here's something you might like.'

She pressed play.

There came a familiar voice, mixed with explosions and feral roars. 'This is General Duke calling from Alpha Squadron flagship Norad II. We've crash landed and are being hit hard by the zerg! Request immediate backup from anyone receiving this signal. Repeat, this is a priority one distress call-'

Serena cut the channel. 'I believe this is what we call karma.'

'Zerg?' asked Raynor. 'Here? Serves em right. Bout time they got a taste of what it's like to be in there mixing it up.'

If Mengsk was surprised or satisfied he did not show it. 'Kerrigan,' said Mengsk, 'I want you to immediately muster the Antigan militia. Find the nearest zerg hive and begin an assault. Captain Yamanov will assist you. While you're at it have our com sat teams try to get an idea of how large an infestation we're dealing with. Serena, Jim, I want you to move in and save that base.'

'I'm positive I didn't hear that right.' said Raynor.

'Arcturus, have you lost your mind?!' asked Kerrigan.

'Listen,' said Mengsk, 'I know Duke's a cold-hearted bastard but an entire colony shouldn't have to suffer for that. Besides, a Confederate General could prove to be a powerful ally. This is an opportunity we cannot miss.'

'I don't like this at all.' said Kerrigan.

'I'm not asking you to like it.' said Mengsk 'I'm asking you to do it.'

'Yes sir.' said Kerrigan.

'I think this is a rational response.' said Serena.

'Great,' said Raynor as he stood up, 'let's get this over with.'

* * *

The strike team set out across the wastes soon enough. They were airdropped some distance from the Alpha Squadron base camp. It wasn't far. As Serena trudged beneath the shadow of cliffs she saw many fleshy hive structures. They rose into the skyline. This was why they had been victorious. Alpha Squadron had been fighting the zerg and the Sons of Korhal had engaged them from behind.

She remembered Emily Swallow and wondered if she had died from gauss rifle fire. Was she was cut down by the zerg? Or, as seemed increasingly unlikely, was she still alive and taking shelter.

'I don't believe this.' muttered a man.

'Can't believe we're being sent to save the Confederates.' said a man. 'They do nothing but push us around and now we're supposed to save em?'

'So this is something I've noticed and I feel I should speak up.' said Serena to all units. 'I am detecting a particular lack of enthusiasm from you men.'

'What do you expect?' asked Jim, as he drove. 'Duke is slime. He abandoned an entire colony filled with innocent men, women, and children to die. And that's just what we know happened.'

'And that means that all his men are slime too, I guess?' mused Serena. 'People with no control over the Confederacy's actions. People who were probably brain panned after getting one traffic ticket too many. People who volunteered because they believed the propaganda. People who joined because they wanted to be heroes. Or because they needed money for their families and there were no jobs.

'There was a recession in Tarsonis recently. A lot of people joined up to try and pay the bills. Are you going to condemn every one of them simply because Duke is a total bastard?'

'I… I don't mean that.' said Raynor.

'Then what did you mean?' asked Serena. 'A very wise man once said: "Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."'

'You've read Lord of the Rings?' asked Raynor, voice eager.

'Yeah, it seemed an easy read.' said Serena. 'Why?'

'I dunno, I thought I was the only person in the fringe worlds sector who had.' said Raynor.

Suddenly there was an ungodly screeching noise. From the ground came many hydralisks and zerglings who swarmed towards them en masse. Serena lowered her gun and opened fire into their ranks as the men formed up and unleashed a barrage. The firebats charged at the hydralisks, burning their way through. Several of them exploded into flames with a scream.

Raynor's grenades exploded amongst the oncoming zerg, killing many. After a few terrific moments of bloodshed, and several more casualties the zerg all lay dead. They pressed on and found the Alpha Squadron base camp. A large portion of it was on fire, and men were working to extinguish it. What remained of Emily Swallow's unit was standing guard.

The white-clad troops lowered their guns as they approached and the Sons of Korhal did the same. Fortunately, neither side opened fire, and Serena raised her hands in a gesture of peace. It might have been more effective if she wasn't holding a gun in one of them. 'Alpha Squadron Commander,' said Serena 'I am Commander Serena Calabas. I've come in response to your leader's distress call. Do not fire on us; we are here to help.'

'You killed half my men.' snapped a familiar voice.

Emily Swallow herself made her way forward. Her faceplate peeled back to reveal a stony expression. 'We don't need you here. Leave now.'

'I respectfully disagree.' said Serena. 'You are surrounded by zerg hives. Your numbers are depleted, and we are the only help available for light years. Believe me, a majority of people on Antiga Prime were in favor of leaving you to rot.'

There was dead silence between them. After a moment Emily spoke. 'Fine, we'll cooperate on this. But as soon as this is over it's back to normal, terrorist.'

'I wouldn't be too sure of that, tyrant.' said Serena. 'Either way, have you had any contact with the Norad II since it went down?'

'We received Duke's message and relayed it to surrounding areas.' said Emily. 'But after that, all communication was cut off. The zerg have established colonies all over the plateau surrounding the crater. We don't have the manpower to break through. Until you arrived we were taking a defensive position and waiting for the rest of Alpha Squadron.'

'Excellent,' said Serena, 'then get in contact with them and tell them not to launch any assaults on the Sons of Korhal. We'll return the favor of course.'

'If we're doing this we'd better hurry.' said Raynor. 'That ship won't last long against those zerg.'

'Hold your horses, cowboy,' said Serena. 'Duke can hold his ground for a bit.'

'What do you mean?' asked Raynor.

Then Serena turned to her men. 'Alright ladies and gentlemen, listen up! Our primary objective is the complete annihilation of the zerg hives in this area! Once we've done that we'll extract Duke at our leisure!

'Now bolster these defenses, make sure nothing gets through! Raynor, scour the highlands north of here and find me the best way to assault the zerg hives!'

Raynor saluted, before driving off on his own. Men rushed to their positions, assisting Alpha Squadron in filling the breaches. Even with Serena's task force, however, the defenses were manned by a skeleton crew. Scanning over the distance, she saw the beginnings of a hive cluster through a pass. Sunken colonies lined the pass, while above on the cliffs were strange spire devices.

'Swallow,' she said, 'what are those spires?'

'Spore colonies.' said Swallow. 'They fire globs of acid at any airborne targets which come near them. We lost a couple of dropships trying to get through.'

'Well we'll need more.' said Serena opening a communication. 'Mengsk, this is Calabas. We've made contact with Alpha Squadron and are securing the area. You can start sending reinforcements any time. I think we'll need them.'

'Dropships are being sent as we speak.' said Mengsk. 'You'll be pleased to know that Kerrigan has located a number of hive clusters. She is leading the militia to destroy the outlying colonies.

'I am quite confident she will succeed.'

'Good.' said Serena, looking to the eastern flank. 'That area is exposed. If the zerg slipped down the highlands they could bypass our defenses. Swallow, redeploy some men to that position.'

'We're stretched too thin as it is.' said Emily. 'General Duke had everything under control! Then you Sons of Korhal stirred the locals up! If you hadn't mobilized them against the Confederacy-'

'We stirred the locals up?' asked Serena incredulously. 'You stirred them up by your tyranny! You mobilized them with your constant strong arm tactics! We just helped them fight back.'

'It doesn't matter now.' said Swallow bitterly. 'This whole planet is doomed.'

'That seems a bit premature.' said Serena doubtfully.

'Is it?' asked Emily. 'Mengsk never operates in any one place for long. He's already gotten what he came here for. He's won a victory against the Confederacy and "liberated" Antiga Prime. It doesn't matter what happens now.

'Once Antiga Prime is of no further use to him do you really think he will expend men and resources to protect it? Or do you think he will throw it away for grander things?'

Serena did not have an answer to that. She did not know Arcturus Mengsk well enough to make a judgment. Yet she doubted he had been unaware of the existence of the zerg on Antiga Prime. If so, he had deliberately engaged Duke while he was protecting the colonists.

At that moment Raynor got back. His bike was torn up, and he was cut across the brow as he stood up from the seat. 'Hey, can I get some repairs for my bike?'

'Take care of it.' said Serena to a repair crew who had just finished their work on the buildings. 'What do you have to report Raynor?'

'What don't I have to report?' asked Raynor. 'Well, there is a roundabout path leading to the rear of the zerg hive north of here. But it's guarded by sunken colonies and we'd have to climb down a narrow slope to get there. We're better off just launching a direct assault.'

'Anything else?' asked Serena.

'Yeah,' said Raynor, 'the cliffs also lead straight to the main zerg hive if you follow them far enough. It's rough terrain and a formation could break up, but it's doable. We could bypass the nearer base and strike directly at the farther one.'

'That would be a very difficult assault to reinforce.' said Emily. 'We'd be better off destroying the nearest one and moving on to the next.'

'Do you have anything useful to report Raynor?' asked Serena.

'Well as soon as you scale up the cliffs,' said Raynor, 'you get to an area where the ground is real mineral rich. We could set up a forward mining base there and guard our northern flank.

'Assuming we're here long term.'

'That sounds like an excellent idea to me.' said Serena. 'Now we just have to wait for the-'

There was an unholy screeching and out of the pass came a monstrosity nearly twelve feet tall. It had to be eighteen feet wide. It had four legs which when they hit the ground made it tremble. It had two arms which had massive razor sharp scythes as the end. Gauss fire was unleashed into it, but it was heedless of its own flesh being torn off. It lumbered forward and began to tear at the bunker line.

Serena opened fire on it, and Emily with her. Yet with every strike, it tore through neo steel. Several men were cut in half within the fortifications. Shot after shot was poured into its hide but to no avail. The bunker was broken to pieces and the men took flight.

Raynor suddenly zoomed into view on his bike and hit a button to plant spider mines into the ground. From there he surged forward and fired several grenades into the monsters hide. It got its attention if the way it looked at him said anything. It roared and charged after him, and Raynor drew it back, screeching to a halt behind his mines.

On it came and the mines activated before surging towards it. There was a terrific explosion. Then the creature collapsed into an indistinguishable carcass of blood and guts. Serena moved forward to look at it, while the men crowded around.

'Swallow,' said Serena, 'what the hell was that?'

'An ultralisk.' said Swallow. 'Some of the other companies ran into a few of them on Chau Sara. I hadn't seen one until I got here, but there are a lot more of them here than on Chau Sara.

'The zerg you fought on Mar Sara were only the lesser strains. It was about as important an outpost to the zerg as it was to the Confederacy.'

Serena looked to her men who stared at the thing in obvious fear. Then she looked at it. One zerg, alone, had done all this. She had become so used to the zerg dying in droves. Now they had something which could withstand more punishment than on siege tanks. A sudden feeling of dread was on her, like on Mar Sara. Yet stronger than on Mar Sara, and she found herself trembling within her marine armor. She was not alone either, dread was on the features of her men.

They had to look busy. 'Alright, you men stop slacking and establish a perimeter. Reinforcements should be here soon, and we'll be able to lay down a proper barrage.' said Serena. 'We're badly stretched thin, or else that thing never would have been able to get this far.'

It helped the men, but Serena did not feel any better as they manned their posts. What was she doing here, planning an assault on the zerg hives? These zerg had strains which could survive barrages from whole ranks of infantry. Things who could tear down neo steel bunkers with a few slashes.

Serena should hold her ground here. She could look for a weak spot in the enemy defenses, break a path to the Norad II and get everyone out of there. That was what Arcturus wanted her to do, so why should she disobey the spirit of her orders?

No. No, if she left these hive clusters standing the zerg would create more. They would grow and grow until they washed over everyone here. Then the protoss would arrive and obliterate everything. Emily Swallow thought the situation was hopeless. She thought that the Sons of Korhal would get what they needed and abandon Antiga Prime.

Serena would not be the one to prove them right. She banished her doubts as best she could and went about commanding. Soon enough Sons of Korhal Dropships arrived. Out of them filed great ranks of hundreds upon hundreds of marines. They armed in the best fashion the Sons of Korhal could arrange.

'Jim.' said Serena.

'Yeah?' asked Raynor.

'I want you to lead the attack.' said Serena.

'Me?' asked Raynor. 'I always figured you for a frontal assault type.'

'I'd love to.' said Serena. 'But we're not just Sons of Korhal anymore, we're coordinating with Alpha Squadron. Before he crash landed Duke ordered most of his troops to converge on this point. I have to be here to keep an eye on things, and I can't make decisions about diplomacy from the front line.'

'Alright,' said Raynor, 'wish me luck darling.'

'Good luck.' said Serena. 'And don't… nevermind.' She didn't have as much of a problem with it as she once had.

* * *

The Sons of Korhal army which had now been assembled had been dispatched from the Antigan cities. Raynor and his boys from the militia had trained most of them, or at the least trained the people who trained them. Even so, only a small portion of the Sons of Korhal had seen a battle in the Antigan war so far, and most of them were not here.

Raynor walked in front of them, looking over them with a practiced eye.

Eventually, he spoke. 'Alright boys and girls listen up, I reckon that at least some among you have never fought the zerg before. In fact, most of you haven't even seen real combat. You've heard nightmare stories about them a boogie man, monsters that cannot be killed. I'm here to tell you that it's all bullshit.

'These things die in droves. The only reason their a threat is because they also breed like rabbits. But that doesn't mean you can get careless. One thing these critters are is relentless, and if you make a mistake they will exploit it. If you run, they will pursue, and they will catch you.

'Now our primary objective is to assault the sunken colonies north of here. I'll try to draw its fire, and you boys will come up behind with incendiary rounds and burn it to ashes. We'll try to isolate the colonies as best we can keep them from supporting each other, so we'll strike that one first.' He motioned to a sunken colony that stood before them. 'Now let's show these critters they can't push folk around.'

Cheers came from the men as Raynor got into his bike and gunned the engine. Despite himself, he felt real jittery about all this. He'd missed the worst part of the battle of Mar Sara, most of the veterans of that battle were back home enjoying life. Which meant he was going entirely on what Serena had described of the war. He couldn't shake the feeling that the attack would be a disaster.

What was he doing here? He ought to tell the men to tell the boys and girls to take defensive positions. Tell Serena to follow their damn orders. There was no call to start a full-scale war when a quick in and out would do. In fact, he was almost getting out of his bike when he stopped.

Serena had told him it had seemed impossible to defeat the zerg on Mar Sara. Everyone else had thought so, but she'd done it. She'd liberated the whole damn planet. Who was he to question her, she'd taken the field directly to fight with her men. She wasn't like Duke or the old families, even if she was part of the latter.

He settled back in his seat. 'Let's do this! Advance boys!'

They then were off, advancing towards the sunken colonies at rapid speed. A war cry came behind Raynor as he surged just ahead of them towards the first of the sunken colonies. Suddenly Raynor felt the ground beneath his vehicle tremble. It was one of those reflexes which wasn't rational, but which one learned to trust in a battle situation. He surged to one side and a tentacle shot up where he had been and lashed at him. He narrowly avoided losing his head as he got in close. He fired a grenade which exploded on the colony, blowing chunks of flesh.

Raynor moved again and the tentacles once again missed. Then the men were within range and opened fire en masse. The sunken colony withered beneath the onslaught as blood poured from its form. Then with one final lash of its tentacle at Raynor, which dented his bike, it was destroyed.

'Good work boys.' said Raynor. 'Now let's move forward! We'll have to do the same thing a couple more times if we're going to take that hive! Let's move it!'

The assault on the next sunken colony was a bit more costly. Seven men were torn to bits before everyone could get into position. By the time they had destroyed it, three more had joined them. There wasn't enough left of the ones who had died to bury. Yet not a single zergling or hydralisk or anything appeared to help the sunken colony. Or the next one after that. Raynor found the fact disturbing.

His men, on the other hand, were heartened, and their ranks were falling out of formation. 'Get back into formation boys!' he called. 'This is too easy! Something is up!'

They weren't listening. A spore colony was annihilated soon enough and still, nothing happened. And the men were convinced nothing would happen. Even as they drew nearer to the next colony Raynor knew something was about to go straight to hell. The only question was what.

The assault on the hive cluster began and that was when things got dicey. Out of the ground poured thousands of zerg. They rushed at Raynor. Retreating back to the lines, Raynor saw that the zerg were coming from behind as well by the thousands.

'Rear line turn and fight them off!' said Raynor, firing grenades into the oncoming ranks. 'Back to back men! We'll hold them!'

The zerglings were being held at bay. Then from the cliffs, hydralisks appeared and launched spines down into the ranks. Men died by the dozens as the roar of ulralisks was heard. Here they came now, three of them. With them were thousands, no tens of thousands of zerglings and still more hydralisks. The zerglings were killed. But the ultralisks reached their ranks and began to tear through them.

The close formation which had served so well against the zerglings was now deadly. Dozens were killed in a single swipe and the front line disrupted. The zerg to their rear were destroyed, only to be reinforced by more that were dropped down by overlords.

'Someone gun down those hydralisks!' cried Raynor as he fired shot after shot into the ultralisks. One fell, but there were two more. 'Take a loose formation and take cover!'

It was all for nothing. They were surrounded and fighting an enemy on the cliffs above. Raynor suddenly realized that they were all going to die. He'd gotten them all killed.

Then there was the whine of wraith engines. Down from the skies descended red painted wraiths. They unleashed a barrage of lasers on the cliffside hydralisks. The creatures returned fire, only for the wraiths to disappear. Soon all the hydralisks had been destroyed. With that done the wraiths turned their attention to the ultralisks.

'Captain Raynor, this is Matt Horner.' said Matt. 'Commander Serena sent us to back you up.'

'Glad to have you here.' said Raynor.

There was a sudden roar that Raynor recognized as goliath machine guns. The zerg behind them were annihilated. A force of white painted goliaths came from behind. Their feet shook the ground as they massacred the zerg in droves. Overlords who sought to bring more reinforcements were blown to bits in seconds. A swarm of mutalisks suffered a similar fate. Anti-air missiles were an awesome technology.

'This is Lieutenant Osimov of Alpha Squadron.' said a dark voice. 'Lieutenant Swallow instructed us to cooperate with you in the evac of the Norad II.'

'Nice to have you boys on board.' said Raynor.

With their flanks and rear secure Raynor's men were able to focus all their fire on the ultralisks. Most of them had already fallen. The zerglings around him fell quickly as well. Then the action was over.

Yet there was no time for rest. The boys were tired, but they had an advantage. 'This is Captain Raynor,' said Raynor to all his forces, 'we advance hard and fast! Crush everything and burn the hives!'

'Just give us a minute captain…' said a man.

'We ain't got a minute!' said Raynor. 'The zerg standing forces are broken! We gotta crush their hives while they can't call reinforcements!'

They charged, obeying their orders and while they did Raynor prayed that he was right. That he hadn't sent his men into a death trap twice in the same day.

They assaulted the remaining sunken colonies. Their tentacles lashed out, again and again, tearing dozens of men to bloody shreds. But the boys kept up the pressure and broke through. This time they had all their forces arrayed. And they had goliaths backing them up. Raynor's men forced their way into the hive, killing everything in sight. Drones were gunned down, explosives were set off on hives, overlords were shot from the sky en masse. The whole thing had taken nearly an hour.

'This is Raynor,' said Raynor, over the com, 'we've waxed the first zerg hive.'

A ragged cheer of victory surged from the men, and Raynor wished to god he knew why they were cheering. He couldn't even hear the response over the uproar. He'd fucked everything up. Yet they didn't blame him. They blamed themselves for what had happened because he'd warned them not to get sloppy. As if it was their fault he'd screwed everything up.

Soon enough reinforcements came. And with them were construction crews that began to establish a new base. Floating structures were landed.

At some point, Serena showed up. Raynor didn't notice. Instead, he sat on the step of his vultures looking at his dog tags and wishing he were a better person.

'I've taken your advice regarding the fortified mining outpost on higher ground.' said Serena. 'It's quite defensible, and it will make an excellent base for more offensives.' She paused. 'There were more casualties than we anticipated.'

'How many are dead?' asked Raynor.

'Two hundred and eighty-six from the marine core.' said Serena. 'Twelve wraiths, and twenty-eight goliaths. We got sloppy.'

'No I got sloppy!' snapped Raynor as he stood up. 'I should have known walking through that pass was a death trap! I should have known we should have set guards on the cliffs or something. Any sane commander would never have made his men-'

'We had no idea the zerg were smart.' said Serena. 'Until this point, the hive mind has only done frontal assaults with no real strategy. It's learning. Besides, I approved the decision so it's my fault as well.'

'And that is supposed to make it better?' asked Raynor.

'No,' said Serena, 'it makes it worse. It means we're all fallible. It means that we're facing a creature that is intelligent enough to run a war. And it is malevolent enough to want our species exterminated.

'We don't have time for this Raynor. I need you back in the field. There is another hive to destroy. You can sit here and mope, or you can lead our soldiers and help save lives. It's an easy decision.'

'Right,' said Raynor, 'right okay. I'm alright.'

'I'm glad.' said Serena. 'I didn't want to have to replace you. The good news is that Kerrigan has destroyed the outlying colonies of the zerg near Antiga Prime. Nothing quite as impressive as what we've done, but it is one more victory.'

'How big of an infestation are we talking about here, Serena?' asked Raynor.

'Larger than the one on Mar Sara.' said Serena. 'Much larger, but by the time we got here, Alpha Squadron had already done a number on their core clusters. We don't think it was quite as many as on Chau Sara, but nobody got a proper read on them. I figure it is the least we can do to pick up where they left off.'

Raynor had put his doubts behind him now. Yes, he had screwed up big time, but that didn't mean he didn't have a duty to keep leading. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. When they destroyed this next hive, hell, maybe they'd save Antiga Prime like they did Mar Sara.

They soldiered on. It was the least they could do.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Well, this is part 1 of the Norad II mission. It's also the first time that Jim Raynor has been a perspective character, so that's notable as well. Somewhat fitting. This is really the mission where Raynor begins to think for himself. Before that point, he and Serena more or less follow Mengsk's lead and try to survive. After that point, he starts to have his own views.

 **Edit:**

Well, I should be happy my writing has improved. This chapter wasn't as bad as some of my older works. But it still needed a serious touch up.


	20. Pragmatism

**Chapter Nineteen: Pragmatism**

 _No one is exactly sure why Duke chose to do it. Maybe it was a sense, deep down, that he'd always been on the wrong side. The evidence was sure as hell all there. He might have had some personal contempt for the way the Old Families were jerking the sector around._

 _Maybe it was because he'd spent years working up to the rank he was, and he still didn't get any respect. Alpha Squadron had a reputation as the army that got shredded paving the way for the rest. It was born of the Guild Wars, and they had never been able to shake it off. In wrestling terms, they were the jobber. And he wanted to break that reputation by crushing all the other Squadrons._

 _Or, as I believe, it was spite and pragmatism mixed in one hell of a drink. Duke hated the Confederacy in nearly as much as the Sons of Korhal, maybe more since he couldn't shoot at the former. He saw that things were starting to turn one way. So he jumped on the bandwagon in the hopes that he would get to kill his boss._

 _Really, who wouldn't in a place like this?_

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

Despite himself, Mengsk was impressed. When he had sent Serena and Jim down there, this wasn't what he had expected. Ge had anticipated a swift rescue mission. One that destroyed the zerg in the way and then evacuated the crew of Norad II. Instead, they were mobilizing both the Sons of Korhal and Alpha Squadron. They had formed into an assault force and were trying to annihilate all zerg hives in the region.

It was not their mission. But Duke looked in satellite scans like he would survive that long. And if Michael Liberty reported such a victory through the news channels, so much the better. Meanwhile, Kerrigan was making excellent progress in securing the colony.

Even so, Arcturus felt a surge of irritation that he was having to expend more resources. Kerrigan's destruction of the outlying zerg would be sufficient for the evacuation. And it would require evacuation; the zerg here were far more numerous than they were on Mar Sara. Destroying one hive, or even three would not be enough to halt this infestation.

'This is Captain Yamanov,' said Yamanov, 'we've broken the outlying defenses. We stand ready to move forward to the next stage of our operations. We've also found something, a cache of heavy weaponry. One of those Confederate storage facilities set up for spare equipment. It dates back to a little after the Guild Wars.'

'Excellent work Captain.' said Mengsk. 'What kind of heavy weaponry?'

'Siege tanks,' said Yamanov, 'lots of siege tanks.'

Mengsk smiled. He'd wanted to get his hands on some of those for a long time. 'Leave a team behind to guard them. I'll send down some crews to refuel and refurbish them. In the meantime meet up with Lieutenant Kerrigan and begin the assault.'

'Yes sir.' said Yamanov.

* * *

The preparations had all been made. Reinforcements had been called in. New outposts had been established to cut the zerg hive off from the Norad II's crater. Yet still, Serena was reluctant to order the advance. It wasn't just that the zerg had a powerful defensive, position, and they did. It was something else.

Standing behind the bunker line atop the cliffs, Serena looked to the armies which were set up on the cliffs. Then she looked to the defensive structures to the southeast. They were defending the way leading up to the zerg hive from that direction.

They had dismissed that path, of course. It would lead them into a choke point guarded by sunken colonies. Not that this area was much better, for the terrain was rough and uneven, making it difficult to hold a formation. She looked at the hive sprawling before them, with several unknown breeds of zerg near it. Then she looked to the eight hundred or so red-clad marines standing behind her. Finally, she looked to the goliaths standing some distance on the right flank.

'Lieutenant Osimov,' said Serena, 'what is your status?'

'We're in position on the right flank, as ordered.' said Osimov. 'What more do you want?'

'I want to know if you believe you can advance across that terrain.' said Serena. 'Walkers aren't quite the same as legs, you know.'

'Look, lady, these walkers are highly advanced.' said Osimov. 'Besides it isn't that bad.'

'Understood,' Serena switched channels. 'Lieutenant Swallow, what is your status?'

'We've wiped out all the remaining outlying colonies.' said Emily. 'The area is clear. I've spoken with several of the other Lieutenants. We've organized several offensives against the zerg's outlying hives. They have met with success, so far. Especially Lieutenant Kennedy.'

'You might have consulted me on that.' said Serena.

'My priority is the destruction of the zerg on Antiga Prime.' said Emily. 'Not satiating your ego. Alpha Squadron does not report to you.'

'Right, right,' said Serena, taking the point and changing channels. 'Raynor report?'

There was a moment of silence, broken suddenly by gunfire. Serena became concerned. 'Captain Raynor please report.'

'Sorry,' said Raynor, 'I was a bit busy there. We've been making progress in digging out the Norad II. These critters set up a whole maze of defenses, but their set up was pretty slipshod. Matt's been able to destroy several sunkens that weren't covered by spore colonies. We've been able to destroy spore colonies which aren't defended by sunken colonies.

'There are no standing forces here at all. Just static defenses for miles. It's pretty easy. I don't like it.'

'Casualties?' asked Serena.

'Fairly light.' said Raynor. 'I mean we had the usual casualties with sunken colonies. But we've been careful to minimize our exposure. We're not taking any more chances.' Long pause. 'How are you?'

'Reluctant,' said Serena, 'I keep getting this… feeling that everything is going to go wrong.'

'I know it.' said Raynor, grimly. 'Got it right before we slipped into that trap.'

'No but it's more than that.' said Serena. 'Whenever I fight terrans it's not there; I act easily. But as soon as I face off against the zerg… I feel horrible. It isn't a sixth sense, I got it on Mar Sara, and I still won.'

'What do you think it is?' asked Raynor.

'I don't know,' said Serena, 'however we don't have time for it now. Keep up the good work, your men had a hard time of it earlier. Now, mine will have theirs.' She cut the channel and took one last look at the hive before her.

The cliff got narrower as it went on. That meant that when her forces advanced they would be dragged into a bottleneck of sorts. She couldn't see the standing forces, but that didn't mean they weren't there. Before she had advanced to this position, she had com scanned the area heavily. She'd learned that there were tens of thousands of zerg waiting there for them. Creatures which had been gathered together from outlying regions.

Serena did not want to launch this attack. The zerg had been crushed already, why should she send good men to die to attack one hive cluster. If she sealed it off, she could rescue the Norad II as planned and finish up here. Yes, she would do it, she would order her forces to hold position and wait for the rest of the assaults to finish.

Then they could finish the hive at their leisure, with heavy siege equipment.

'Ma'am,' said a soldier, 'this looks bad. You think we should just seal em off? Come back with extra forces?'

Serena looked at him. 'What is your name?'

'I'm Wooster, ma'am.' he said.

'How old are you?' she asked.

'Sixteen ma'am.' he said, 'My dad lost everything when the Confederates raided our company. Then I lost my dad when the zerg raided us.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'right.' She'd called up teenagers to fight her wars for her. It was all very well to say that every able-bodied man and women must be mustered. But this kid should have been in high school. His armor and gun were too big for him. 'Listen to me all of you. Listen! We could seal this place off! Hell, I want to do that! I don't want to lose anyone else to these things!

'But imagine if all the other attacking forces did the same? Imagine if every Sons of Korhal and Alpha Squadron company destroyed one hive and left the other? We would have vast tracts of land under zerg control, and we'd be fighting a never-ending war to keep them at bay. And sooner or later they would break through.

'On Mar Sara I could have stalled for time and waited for evacuation. Yet I didn't do that because I knew that no evacuation could have saved everyone on Mar Sara. For them to live, the zerg had to die! It is the same here!

'Some of you will die in this coming battle! Yet if victory is achieved here, then Antiga Prime may one day be rid of both the zerg and the Confederates! Free to work for its own betterment without fear of tyranny and slaughter! Could there be a better cause to die for? And to those who live? In the years to come, you will be able to say, "I was there, fighting with the Sons of Korhal and Alpha Squadron! Fighting to save my world!"

'That is why we are going to attack!

'All forces advance!''

Serena did not lead the charge. Yet she walked a little bit behind the armies as they marched forward. One of the unidentified flying strains then flew forward and spat something. A spray of green liquid hit the goliaths, which struggled to move forward, slowed heavily.

She should have called a halt, ordered the marines to slow. Yet some will forced itself on her like a claw and the words stuck in her throat. She could not speak, could not form words, or think at all. Forcing her mind toward it, she cast it aside, but it was too late!

The battle had begun, and the goliaths were lagging too far behind.

'Widen the line!' said Serena. 'Fan out, they must not outflank us!'

Men were torn to pieces by the sunken colonies. Vast swarms of zerglings were mowed down, and hydralisks shot down in smaller numbers. Yet , n turn the hydralisks claimed many in return. And all the while the sunken colonies were doing their work, tearing men to pieces. Finally, with a barrage, the sunken colony was destroyed. Yet tendrils continued to shoot at them.

The initial wave of zerg was broken. Yet there were more on the way.

'Fall back!' called Serena. 'Fall back and reform! We need the goliaths!'

The goliaths were coming up and as the marines reformed, many fewer than before, the zerg came on in new force. All the surrounding lands had been emptied of the creatures. Or so reports coming in from various outposts had said.

Yet the goliaths and marines fired in unison. The vast tide was for a time held at bay by waves of lead and impaler rounds. Blood spilled over the ground, staining in red as tens of thousands of zerg were killed. Yet still more were coming. Serena realized they had underestimated just how many zerg had been here. And how many were still coming.

This hive must have been very important to the zerg.

At that realization, something clicked in Serena's mind. She wasn't sure what, and she had no time to figure out what it was. For then came the ultralisks, roaring and charging into the goliaths ranks. Four of the goliaths were torn apart in seconds. She heard Osimov scream in agony over the radio. Serena knew that at this rate the whole force would be destroyed.

'Marines focus fire on he ultralisks!' said Serena, raising her gun and firing. 'Kill them quickly!'

One ultralisk was down, two were down, yet at the cost of twelve goliaths. In a few seconds, three more ultralisks were slain and then the zerg hit the defensive line. Focused on the ultralisks, the marines now found themselves firing into melee.

Serena unslid a bayonet from her gun and moved forward, firing. Three zerglings were gunned down by her, and then two more in a few moments. She saw a marine born down by a zergling which tore at his armor, making horrible grooves. She couldn't fire accurately enough to not hit Wooster.

So she rushed forward and drove her bayonet into the creature's chest. Grabbing it, she tore it off the marine. Then she saw his face. 'Wooster, stand up and fight! Quickly!'

'You saved my life, ma'am.' he said.

'Obviously!' she said, grabbing his hand. 'Now get up!'

She pulled him up, and they turned their guns on the zerg.

Yet the zerg were nearly defeated. The assault had been feral and swift and claimed many lives. But with the ultralisks dead the goliaths were able to support the marines. Now the zerg standing forces were destroyed, and the hive clusters lay exposed.

Looking to her forces, Serena felt horrible. She'd led all these men into this meatgrinder. This was her fault. She should order the retreat before anyone else died.

No. There same reluctance, she would not let it master her. This was the zerg's fault! They had invaded this place and started killing people! 'All forces advance! Finish the zerg off once and for all!'

There was a shout, and they did advance. They obliterated hydralisk den and destroyed the sunken colony beneath it. They killed the few warrior strains remaining and began to lay waste to the hive. All of a sudden gobs of acid shot out of the sky. They slammed into their lines, scattering the men as dozens were killed in instants.

Serena looked and saw in the distance a series of crab-like creatures firing shot after shot at them. The screams of her men were all around her. Several goliaths were melted with their pilots still inside. In the very moment when victory was nearest her men were on the verge of breaking. They couldn't even shoot back.

'This is Calabas,' said Serena, 'we've come under fire by some kind of aerial swarm artillery! We need wraith support now?!'

'This is Horner.' said Matt. 'It's not just you. We'll be there in twelve minutes!'

Acid splashed near Serena, killing a man and the comrade he had stooped to help. 'We don't have twelve minutes!'

'We gotta pull out ma'am!' said Wooster, firing helplessly.

'Belay that order!' roared Serena. 'Form up into loose formation and advance! We'll take the fight to them! Advance and destroy those-'

Then came the roar of wraiths. Not the red of the Sons of Korhal, but the white of Alpha Squadron. They surged overhead at supersonic speed. They unleashed a barrage of missiles at the crab things. The zerg turned to try and flee, but it was too late. They were overtaken and within a few minutes. Their blood rained over the ground.

'Jack Kennedy of Alpha Squadron here.' said a cool voice. 'Heard you ladies needed some help.'

'Much appreciated.' said Serena, exhausted.

'Ma'am,' said Wooster, 'orders?'

Serena looked to her bloodied and diminished forces. How many of an army which had once been over a thousand now remained? What she knew was that the swarms responsible still had an intact hive all around her.

'Burn it all.' she said. 'Kill the overlords and all the drones. Nothing escapes.'

The ensuing massacre was catharthic, to say the least. Yet even afterward Serena had a bitter taste in her mouth. Victory had come at a terrible price. Almost half of the men were dead, killed in the brutal fighting. Many others were wounded. A few were missing limbs and would need prosthetics. And it occured to her that this was merely one point on the planet where they were fighting. There would be a great many more cyborgs on Antiga Prime when this was over.

'This is Raynor,' said Jim, 'my rangers have annihilated the zerg colonies around the Norad II. The area is clear. You can send down the dropships at any time.'

Serena breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. 'Stand by to receive us. We're on our way.'

The Battle of Norad II took three days to complete in total. The first day had been spent preparing for their expedition and a few skirmishes. The second day had consisted of the assault on the nearest hive. The third had been the final defeat of the largest zerg hive on Antiga Prime.

Fortunately, they were not fighting alone. The Antigans had mustered en masse to defeat the swarm on a dozen different battlefields. Kerrigan had annihilated a large hive cluster, and the Antigans had done the same to a third. There were still rumors of a primary hive cluster somewhere far away. But they might have been false for all Serena knew.

When she got to the crater, she was impressed despite herself. There was now no sign of any colonies or creep on the surface of the plateau Norad II had crashed on. Raynor had done his work well. Also, tens of thousands of zerg corpses were lining the inside of the crater. And those were just the ones visible. They had been piled one on the other in a wall of corpses which had stood in the way of further assaults. Alpha Squadron firebats were roasting some of the bodies. The Norad II was not on fire, and its soldiers had remained calm and held their ground. They had defended their little island of order in a sea of chaos for almost seventy-two hours. And they had survived.

General Duke was many things. But a poor tactician was not one of them.

Yet all that paled in comparison to the sight of the Norad II itself. The once proud vessel had been nearly snapped in half. It's thrusters sticking up at an unnatural angle. Its head was plowed into the dirt, its bridge windows shattered. Like a massive wounded dragon, it lay destroyed. Serena doubted it would ever fly again.

On the brighter side of things, it was a beautiful sunset today. It was flaming red with hues of violet, a fitting conclusion to what had been a great victory.

'So what exactly is the plan here?' asked Raynor.

'The dropships are en route.' said Serena, admiring the colors. 'But Mengsk has something special planned. Or so he told me.'

Arcturus Mengsk was not as fast in his response as he could have been. He made Duke sweat, no doubt about that. Large forces of Sons of Korhal troops were sent to surround the crater and stand guard there. All frequencies to and from the crater were jammed, and finally, Mengsk made his entrance.

He did not go to meet Duke in person. Nor did he send a transmission. He came down from on high through the clouds as the Norad II had a month ago. Yet this time it was the colonists who were passing judgment through the Hyperion. The colonists who were in control. It held a karmic irony which Serena appreciated.

Duke was unphased. 'You're about the last people I expected to show up. What's your angle here, Mengsk?'

Their angle? Hundreds, perhaps thousands of good men and women had died to save his worthless hide. And that was the thanks their sacrifice got. Serena opened her mouth to speak, but Raynor got there first.

'Our angle?!' he roared. 'I'll give you an angle you slimy Confederate piece of-'

'Jim enough, I'll handle this.' said Mengsk over the com. 'The Confederacy is falling apart, Duke. Its colonies are in open revolt; the zerg are rampaging unchecked. What would have happened here today if we hadn't shown up?'

'Your point?' asked Duke, unimpressed. Oh right, Duke was fighting the zerg and winning before they showed up.

'I'm giving you a choice,' said Mengsk, 'you can return to the Confederacy and lose. Or you can join us and help save our entire race from being overrun by the zerg. I don't think it's a difficult decision.'

'Join forces with you?' asked Duke. 'I'm a general for god's sake!'

'A general without an army.' said Mengsk. 'I'm offering you a position in my cabinet, not just some backwater post. Don't test my patience, Edmund.'

'Alright Mengsk.' said Duke. 'You've got a deal.'

'You've made the right choice, General Duke.' said Mengsk, emphasizing the word general.

'I can't believe you're really going to trust this snake.' said Raynor on an open channel.

'Don't worry, Jim.' said Mengsk, a tone of amusement in his voice. 'He's our snake now.'

In three days the primary zerg hive clusters had been completely annihilated. In three days the people of Antiga Prime had rallied to assail the zerg. They had fought side by side with Alpha Squadron and the Sons of Korhal. And now Alpha Squadron had defected. Meaning that all the credit for the victory went to man who engineered it all.

Serena reflected that Arcturus Mengsk was something of a magnificent bastard. She would never say it to his face of course, but it was a simple truth.

* * *

Commander Schezar returned from dinner to find the reports on his desk. They were priority one reports, which meant they should have been delivered in person. Evidently, however, they were so bad that whoever had brought them in had simply left them on his desk. Bracing himself for the worst, he sat down and began to read through them.

In a matter of days, Antiga Prime had been 'liberated' by the Sons of Korhal. They had done it while Alpha Squadron was busy fighting the zerg. They then proceeded to rescue Duke while reinforcements were far away. They had cooperated with his forces to annihilate the zerg. Then they had orchestrated the en masse defection of Alpha Squadron. After a moment he set the reports down, clasped his hands together before him as though in prayer. Finally, he looked up and spoke.

'Son of a bitch.'

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for another Confederate subplot!

Norad II is an interesting mission. It marks the point where Arcturus begins to go from hero to villain. Duke was a corrupting influence on Arcturus in many ways. After all, Raynor or Kerrigan probably wouldn't have followed his orders regarding Tarsonis. He needed someone just as ruthless as he was to do the job, and Duke was that someone.

Also, this marks the first appearance of guardians. Once again, they were not in this mission. But since these are the primary hive clusters I wanted a nasty surprise for Serena and co.


	21. Assault on Vardona

**Chapter Twenty: Assault on Vardona**

 _The funny thing about money is that it can buy you a lot of things, but only if the money is good for something. The Confederacy had a lot of money, and as long as they were the dominant power that was enough. But it was like when a billionaire who becomes a pauper when the stock market crashes. When it started to look like the Confederacy might lose, the gold lost its luster._

 _The Old Families had shattered their reputations as good people when Korhal went up. They'd broken any illusions of ideological appeal with years of brutality. And all their propaganda could do was shore up the supports on a house that was burning down._

 _A lot of people decided to get out before it collapsed._

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

Colonel Ordren of Omega Squadron made his way through the halls of the Kel'morian HQ. He was led on either side by soldiers in marine armor. He knew exactly why he was here. So did they. The only question was what he was going to get out of it. Within the central room of the first floor, he found Overseer Tavish Kerr sitting in a metal seat. He was watching television. A news station was playing some insignificant reports on it. On the far wall was a table with two crystal glasses set upon it, along with a bottle of fancy wine.

Tavish Kerr was a lanky man, with short blonde hair and wore an expensive suite. He gave the impression of being pampered, no calluses, but he couldn't have been stupid. Order walked forward, and Tavish motioned to a seat nearby. Ordren sat down, and the guards left. Ordren waited in his seat. Tavish motioned with one hand to the screen, and Ordren looked to it.

'And now a special report from UNN star reporter Michael Liberty, coming to you live from Antiga Prime!'

The logo flashed, a local news station, and then it showed Liberty standing in front of a command center. 'Good morning people of the Confederacy. I'm standing here in the newly liberated Colony of Antiga Prime. Even as we speak Antigan and Sons of Korhal are initiating assaults on zerg hives across the planet.

'Thus far their efforts have met with a great deal of success. The now infamous Serena Calabas who commands them is away and leading an assault. So she is not available for comment. However, we did manage to get an interview with the shadowy Arcturus Mengsk himself.'

The view changed to Mengsk sitting in a command room. He was dressed in an ornate uniform, his beard combed neatly. Michael Liberty was sitting across from him. 'General Mengsk, Confederate propaganda claims you staged a hostile takeover of Antiga Prime. They claim you used the chaos of the zerg invasion because you knew they would be distracted. How do you respond to these allegations?'

Mengsk smiled slightly. 'With some resignation, I admit. I have long become used to being demonized to the public at large. Our attack on Antiga Prime was made by the request of the Antigan government. They could no longer abide the atrocities perpetrated upon them by the Confederates.

'The last Magistrate of Antiga Prime was murdered by Confederate Officers. And he was only one of many innocent people who died in their initial crackdown. We came to the Antigans aid and assisted them in their liberation.

'If you doubt my story, you may, of course, interview anyone you like.'

'I may just take you up on that.' said Michael Liberty. 'Now would it be accurate to say that you are for all intents and purposes now the dictator of Antiga Prime?'

'Well, I wouldn't exactly call myself a dictator.' laughed Mengsk, leaning back in his seat. 'It would be more accurate to say that, given the severity of the situation, the power of action has been vested in me. We'll start making plans for a more formal government once the situation has settled down a bit. For now, we are working to secure this colony against the zerg, and, if necessary, the Confederacy.'

'How is your campaign against the zerg going?' asked Michael. 'Do you believe you can hold this colony? Or will the terrans strategic retreat continue?' Strategic retreat? Was that what they were calling it these days?

'It's too soon to make a decision.' admitted Mengsk. 'Some of my officers believe we will have to evacuate Antiga Prime. While a regrettable possibility, arrangements have been made to that effect. Serena believes we can halt the zergs advance here, as we did before, though.

'Certainly, we have enjoyed a great deal of success. Under the leadership of Captain Raynor, and my other officers, we have dealt the zerg a serious blow. Commander Calabas and myself have begun mobilizing Antiga Prime for a full-scale war. To anyone watching here today, I should advise you to do the same.

'Antiga Prime is far from the only colony in the sector, after all. Your colony may come under threat soon. If the Confederacy's policy of inactivity continues, things will get worse. The Sons of Korhal will, of course, do what we can. However, our resources are limited. We are relying on the cooperation and goodwill of the colonies to achieve our ends.

'Our goal is liberation. Not subjugation.'

The screen cut away back to Liberty. 'Stirring words from a seemingly benevolent figure. Yet how true are his claims? Did Antiga Prime request help? And how tyrannical was the Confederacy's occupation?

'Now why don't we interview-'

Tavish turned off the television and turned to Ordren. 'As you can see, Lieutenant, the Confederacy is on its way out. Its colonies are mobilizing for rebellion. The zerg are killing everything in sight, and you, my friend, are stuck in the middle of it.'

'You said you had an offer for me.' said Ordren 'What is it?'

'Just let me ask you this first,' said Tavish, 'how much do you love your leader, Lieutenant?'

'I don't.' said Ordren. 'That's why I'm here. I've spent five years in Omega Squadron, watching my boys get torn to shreds in droves. Or watching them die from the rage drugs Reikson pours through their veins. I've fought, killed and died, and now here I am. A Lieutenant and you know what my primary regret is?'

'I'm listening?' said Tavish.

'I met a girl on a resort on Tyrador IX once.' said Ordren. 'Beautiful girl. I was working there as an indentured servant, and I was on leave. I almost went up and talked to her. But I didn't. It probably wouldn't have changed nothing, of course. But every so often I wonder what could have been.

'I'm here because you want me to betray the Confederacy. We both know that now is perfect timing for a defection. What are you offering?'

'Simple enough,. said Tavish. 'The Kel'morian Combine has been planning to steal Meinhoff away from the Confederacy. They've been planning it for some years. Our most recent attempt was a failure because of the zerg invasion. The time before that we incited a miner revolt and sent military aid. Reikson crushed the attempt. It was quite brutal if I recall.'

'I know.' said Ordren. 'I was there.'

'Well the attempt was made when the Confederacy had nothing to do but keep itself in power.' said Tavish. 'However now? Now with Mengsk trying to carve out his own little empire, and the zerg making all this noise? Why entire worlds might be able to defect with only minimal trouble. Make no mistake, Ordren, the Kel'morian Combine is going to take Meinhoff.

'There are already forces amassing on Moria in preparation for an assault. With Reikson gone, you would have to hold them off single-handed.'

'Get to the point.' said Ordren.

'Don't fend them off single-handed.' said Tavish with a smile. 'Don't even try. Surrender yourself formally to me, and the rest of Meinhoff will follow suit. I'll pay you far better than Reikson ever did, let's say… double your present salary. Your duties would be simple enough; all you'd have to do would be keep order. Put down any miner uprisings, and I can promise you some very nice vacation spots.'

'That's a mighty generous offer.' said Ordren. 'Why are you making it?'

'Well,' said Tavish, 'I'm an ambitious man. If the Guilds all get together and seize Meinhoff together, then they will all split the thing up evenly. But if I seize Meinhoff without striking a blow and open it to the Kel'morian Combine..." He clenched a fist. 'I will be in a position to take the lion's share of the profits. At the same time, I will massively increase my reputation.

'Your defection would make me a very prominent man, Ordren.

'You don't need to answer right now, of course. I'm a patient man, and the attack will be in a few months. However, I should-'

'I accept.' said Ordren. 'I'll arrange for my boys to surrender to you tomorrow. Meinhoff will be yours soon enough.'

'Thank you very much.' said Tavish. 'I appreciate it.' Then walking over to the table broke the seal on a wine bottle and poured two glasses. Passing one to Ordren, he raised his glass. 'To new beginnings.'

'To new beginnings.' echoed Ordren. They clicked their glasses against each other and drank a toast.

Thus Tavish Kerr conquered Meinhoff without striking a blow. The Confederacy had spent years building up the world, only for it to be lost to them overnight. There was no resistance from the populace, nor did the militia even try to argue. Instead, they tried to negotiate for a better deal. The Confederate Flag was lowered, torn to shreds, and burned.

And that was that.

* * *

The situation was dire as the Squadron Commanders arranged their conference call. Reikson, in particular, looked furious with events on Meinhoff. Isabella looked mildly concerned, which meant she was very concerned. Matron was frowning more than usual. Schezar kept his face implacable as he considered things and they tried to figure out what was going on.

'Why the hell didn't we know about Duke getting shot down sooner?' asked Reikson.

'The distress calls which were sent were all sent to Tarsonis.' said Isabella. 'Now of course traditionally they would be at once relayed to one of us. Unfortunately, our mutual friend Arturro Calabas seems more committed to his own control. Rather than the survival of the Confederacy.

'He ordered that Duke be left high and dry in the hopes that he would be killed.'

'Yes, I begin to see where this is going.' said Schezar.

'Really?' said Reikson. 'That's great because I don't.'

'If Duke had died,' said Schezar, 'then the Old Families would naturally appoint a new head of Alpha Squadron. He could have been used to run the war how they wanted to. It would have given them more power over the Squadrons.

'The Old Families do not care what happens to the sector as long as they come out of this war with their power intact. The loss of the elite core of Alpha Squadron would mean nothing to them. I expect Duran is using this trait of theirs to advance his own agenda.'

'Well it didn't work, did it?' asked Isabella. 'Mengsk took advantage of our disorder to engineer Duke's defection. Now we've got rebellion spreading everywhere. My headquarters on Torus has come under assault by rebels under Warfield. I'm working to root them out, but the fighting is liable to take awhile.'

'The Antiga Prime revolt has to be crushed ASAP.' said Reikson. 'Send me down there Alan, in five minutes I'll burn that colony of dirt farmers to the ground and put Mengsk's head on a pike. Or hell, we could just-'

'No.' said Schezar.

'Oh come on,' said Reikson, 'it's the simplest solution.'

'Reikson,' said Schezar, 'I have always been against the use of those devices. They aren't reliable, and they destroy one enemy while increasing another's power. Moreover, an assault on Antiga Prime is not an option. When Mengsk took control of Alpha Squadron, he also took control of all Duke's resources. We have more immediate concerns.

'Take a fleet to the planet of Vardona. I'll meet you there. We'll assault Alpha Squadron's primary base of operations and crush it. That should break up Mengsk's momentum a bit.'

'Right.' said Reikson.

'What should I do?' asked Matron. 'I've already restructured Gamma Squadron. My men are all ready for a fight, but except on planets where the zerg have shown up we haven't anything to do.'

'Get together a task force.' said Schezar. 'And transport it to put it at Isabella's disposal. The additional manpower should prove useful.' He paused. 'Isabella I want you to send some scout ships to seek out Mengsk's base of operations on Antiga Prime. He must have an area where he conducts all his operations when the Hyperion isn't available. Find it.'

'Understood.' said Isabella.

Vardona was a pleasure world of sorts, in the sense that its fields were filled with plant life. Its skies were very pretty at night, too. Yet it also held a great deal of power within it. As Schezar looked down upon the cityscape from the bridge of the Soldier III he felt reluctant to attack. It might involve a great deal of collateral, and he wanted to avoid that.

'Sarah,' he said to an ensign, 'send an open a channel to the Alpha Squadron HQ.'

She worked quickly and soon a large bearded dark-skinned man appeared on the screen. One of his eyes was cybernetic, and he glared at them. 'This is Lieutenant General Casmir speaking. You want to tell me what Delta and Omega Squadron are doing in our air space?'

'Cut the shit.' said Reikson. 'We know-'

'Reikson, I'll handle this.' said Schezar. 'The General of Alpha Squadron has committed treason against the Confederacy of Man. In light of this information, I am disbanding Alpha Squadron. You will be integrated it into those Squadrons that remain loyal.'

'Go to hell.' said Casmir. 'Alpha Squadron isn't going anywhere.'

'I respectfully disagree.' said Schezar. 'Throw down your weapons and prepare to receive us. Or I will burn your HQ to the ground.'

'You can try.' snarled Casimir.

'So be it.' said Alan.

The channel cut out, and Alan looked to Reikson. 'I want you to land and handle the outlying bases. I will descend and deal with the main fortifications. Remember Reikson; we want to cause as little unnecessary carnage as possible. Reign your men in, and don't use any of the rage serum.'

'Yeah, I gotcha.' said Reikson. 'Let's commence the damn attack already.'

* * *

Lieutenant Sanchez of Delta Squadron was a lean, Hispanic man. He had a clean shaven face and steely gray eyes. His armor and that of his men was polished well. It positively gleamed in the light of the dropship as they surged down towards Vardona. He looked to his men and checked his weapon.

'Listen up men,' he said, 'we are landing on the outskirts of Vardona's capital city. Our task is to take the outer layer of defenses and hold them. Remember that Alpha Squadron is going to be trying to stop us, so we've got to be quick. Minimum collateral, you know the Commander's plan.

'Lock and load.'

The dropships landed and the doors open. Out poured companies of Delta Squadron marines. Even as they rushed forward the sound of siege tank fire could be seen. Several men from another dropship were blown to bits by a shot from a siege tank. Similar scenes played out in moments.

'Loose formation men!' called Sanchez, and they obeyed quickly. 'Commander, we need air support.'

Down from the heavens descended dozens of wraiths. They disappeared from sight as they swarmed over the Alpha Squadron defensive line. Dozens of shots from their lasers blew up several of the tanks before a comsat sweep washed over the area. That alerted Alpha Squadron troops to the location of the wraiths.

Comsat sweeps were programmed into marine suits. When a cloaked enemy was detected, an outline of it was transmitted. The targeting systems then made it 'visible.' Of course, it didn't work if you didn't have your visor down.

Either way, by the time the com scan had been made the wraiths had destroyed most of the tanks and were withdrawing. A few stragglers were caught by gauss fire and careened down to explode against the ground. Sanchez rushed past one and hoped that its pilot had managed to eject.

Then they were upon the Alpha Squadron line. Both sides formed up and opened fire en masse. The two most disciplined and elite Squadrons in the Confederacy fought. They unloaded hundreds of rounds per minute. Even as one rank fell, another came up behind to reinforce it. Yet the deciding factor was when Delta's Squadrons tanks deployed. They blasted Alpha Squadrons ranks.

White wraiths surged to destroy them but were met in mid-air by the orange colored flyboys. Alpha Squadron's front line collapsed, and Delta Squadron pursued. They gunned them down as they tried to flee. Finally, it was over.

'Keep up the pressure!' said Sanchez. 'We'll let the reinforcements hold the ground; we gotta keep them from regrouping! All units advance down the street and blast anything military that gets in your way!'

He was glad Alpha Squadron had ordered civilians to stay inside their homes. If they hadn't put out a warning, this could have gotten really messy. As it was the advance was unchecked. Each time Alpha Squadron tried to form a battle line they were overrun.

At last, they neared the very center of the capital. Here they found many bunkers filled to the brim which opened fire en masse. Several dozen of Sanchez's men were gunned down.

'Pull back!' said Sanchez. 'Pull out of range and take a defensive position! We don't have the numbers to assault that brute force style! Call in the tanks; we'll shell them to pieces!'

'There is no need for that, Lieutenant.' said the Commander. 'I'll handle this personally.'

The Soldier III descended from the clouds like god himself. It's searchlights scanned over the enemy HQ. Wraiths swarmed around it like a million flies around a great beast. The enemy looked up, and you could tell they were intimidated. All the more so because tanks were coming up and taking siege mode.

'This is Commander Alan Schezar of Delta Squadron.' said the Commander. 'Men of Alpha Squadron, you have fought valiantly for an unworthy cause. I ask now that you lay down your arms that further bloodshed might be averted.

'Think back to why you joined our glorious military? Was it to serve the Squadrons and their various agendas? Was it to serve General Duke? No, it was to serve the Confederacy of Man.

General Edmund Duke has betrayed the Confederacy. He has turned on his fellow man to throw his lot in with the Sons of Korhal. He now serves the spawn of that monstrous source of evil we long ago eradicated. I beg of you, do not follow him down this dark path.

'Take your officers into custody, and you will all be spared. Fail, and there will be yet more tragedy. While Mengsk draws his web ever tighter over the hearts of the Sector's people.'

'You can't be serious!' said Casmir. 'You boys are on your way out! Why the hell should we care about all that bullshit! We're on the side that's going to win! You wanna change that fact, dig us-'

There was a click on the other side of the screen.

'What are you doing?' asked Casimir, voice afraid.

'Lieutenant Casmir you are under arrest for high treason.' said an officer. 'All troops power down and submit to the justice of the Confederacy.'

And just like that, they did. Alpha Squadron threw down its weapons and came forward in great numbers. They were counted as prisoners. Sanchez watched in awe. It was brilliant in its simplicity. Duke had assumed that his whole squadron would defect with him, just because he told them to. Afterall, they were brainwashed. Yet Schezar had turned their own programming against them. Though that in itself left another question.

'Sir,' he said, 'why didn't we do that before?'

'It might not have worked.' replied Schezar. 'The Confederacy these people serve will never exist. It is an abstract concept, a fantasy on par with the resurrection of Christ himself. If we had appealed on that basis alone, then loyalty to Duke might have trumped it, and we might not have been able to use it.

'Fortunately even neurally resocialized people feel fear. Once we were winning it allowed me to appeal to their sense of honor, and their sense of self-preservation. Two powerful sources of motivation I should say.'

'You are awesome.' said Sanchez simply.

* * *

Later, Reikson and Schezar met to discuss the aftermath of the battle. A new system was set in place for the military arm of Vardona. A large force of Delta and Omega Squadron troops were left on Vardona. The remaining Alpha Squadrons forces, who were many, were drafted into both squadrons.

In the media side, a flowery and poetic description of things played out across the screen, muted by the remote. It described how the heroic Delta Squadron convinced their Alpha Squadron brothers to surrender. To cast off the shackles Sons of Korhal and rejoin the glorious Confederacy of man was described. Alan doubted many people believe it, but it was something.

Reikson, in particular, was happy with the results. He and Duke had always disliked one another. Reikson had wanted to claw Omega Squadron into a position as one of the top Squadrons. At this rate, he might well succeed.

'Well I was hoping to bloody them up a bit more, but stealing Duke's legions out from under him is well worth it.' said Reikson. 'As it is, I'm well satisfied with a few thousand of Duke's minions dead, and the rest conscripted.'

'This was very considerable victory Gregory.' said Alan. 'If Duke had finished his business on Antiga Prime this planet would have joined Mengsk. This is a core world, it would have been an unprecedented disaster to see it fall.'

'Well it wasn't.' said Reikson. 'Let's head to Antiga Prime next. I think it's about time we crushed Duke and Mengsk once and for all.'

'I'll leave for Antiga Prime immediately once Isabella provides me with her results.' Alan corrected him. 'I need you to find a colony under assault by the zerg. And I mean really under assault by the zerg. You will save it and do so with the media's attention on you. We must not forget that we're also facing an alien incursion here. And every victory we can report back home will increase our credibility.'

'Yeah, yeah, I got you.' said Reikson. 'Good luck to you, man.'

'You too.' said Alan, a smile playing on his lips.

Things had gone badly for a while. But as long as they could avoid any more disasters the situation would be well in hand. And Schezar would be in a position to set the Confederacy to rights when it was over. Whether the Old Families liked it or not.

* * *

On the world of Obus I, the swarm had overrun the planetary defenses of the locals. The few hundred who had survived to be evacuated were crowded aboard dropships. Far below them, one could see the creep spreading gradually over the planet. Dozens of hive clusters which had been allowed to grow up were constructed. In time this place would become a bastion for the swarm.

It had to be culled, and Captain Johnson of the Sons of Korhal knew exactly who would be doing the culling.

'Captain,' said an ensign, 'the refugees are onboard and are unloading.'

'Good.' said Johnson. 'Let's get moving before the fireworks start. I don't want to be around here when they show up.'

'You think we should head for the drop off point?' asked the ensign. 'I mean we're cutting it pretty close already, and we're near our limit. Thirty thousand in the whole fleet.'

'Are there any more distress calls going on through our channels?' asked Johnson. 'We can still fit some people on board, and I don't want to abandon anyone.'

'No sir.' said the ensign.

'Alright,' said Johnson, 'head for Korhal. Alert the population centers down there that we have another batch of refugees in need of a place to set down. They'll have work to keep them employed. I'm sure they'll love the extra population.'

Even as they put distance between them and Obus I, dozens of protoss warships warped into view. They began to pulse with energy. Johnson sighed. 'Here we go.'

Blue lightning surged around the golden ships. It mustered into more and more powerful radiance that was unleashed upon the surface. It was the same song and dance which Johnson had gotten used to since seeing the footage on Chau Sara. After the near miss on Mar Sara, Arcturus had assigned him and his crew to do nothing but evac refugees to Korhal. And they were kept very, very, busy.

It was the third planet the protoss had destroyed this week.

Johnson doubted it would be the last.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I admit I like writing these side stories. They give the Confederate Squadrons a chance to have moments to shine. And show why they held on to the Sector as long as they did. Which is necessary from a narrative perspective because villains who never win are not compelling.

Also, I wanted to show that the protoss were still active and still nuking planets that got overrun.

Last of all the more observant long-time readers among you will notice something. The first scene is taken with only moderate alterations from one of my fanfics. Starcraft: Rebel Yell. This is because I felt that the scene was {unlikes the rest of the fic.} good. It gave an idea of what the Kel'morian Combine was doing. And it gave a sense of how the Confederacy was falling apart.

So I kept it.


	22. Downtime

**Chapter Twenty One: Downtime**

 _The Liberation of Antiga Prime gets a lot of news coverage, but I think they focus on the wrong aspect. Yes, the Confederates were sent packing. Yes, Duke defected. But more important than that was that the events of Mar Sara were proven not to have just been a fluke. They had done what Alpha Squadron had failed to do on Chau Sara._

 _They won. A victory was possible, and they had done it. People throughout the sector realized that these things could be beaten. A lot of former enemies struck alliances to try and fight the critters off._

 _It's just a shame they went right back to killing each other afterward._

 **Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

One month after the rescue of Norad II, Emily Swallow led a task force forward across the plains of Antiga Prime. Several trees were passed as they went, yet there was no time to admire the scenery. For in the distance was a hive, a large one which had thus far evaded all scans. Its hatchery was larger and stronger than any they had seen thus far.

'Listen up people,' said Emily 'I know you're new to Alpha Squadron so I'll make this clear. We're first in and first out. We break the gate so the other forces can clear out the enemy. Siege tanks enter siege mode and begin shelling. Raynor and Kerrigan's troops will be advancing from the northwest and northeast. We'll come in from the south, and we all catch them in a pincer movement. Horner and Kanasky will provide air cover.'

'This is Jimmy,' said Raynor, 'we're in place and ready to begin shelling.'

'This is Kerrigan,' said a voice, 'we're ready.'

'Emily Swallow,' said Emily as the tanks took a position. 'prepped and ready.'

'Open fire.' said Commander Calabas.

The siege tanks unleashed hell on the last remaining zerg hive, and at once the zerg responded. All their forces rushed at them en masse, the ground trembling beneath their approach. Emily and her forces opened fire on them, as the outer defenses were crushed beneath the barrage. The zerg were slaughtered in vast droves. There were a few ultralisks and some mutalisks, but almost all of them were from the lesser strains. The barrage continued Emily realized that the zerg had nothing left to throw at them.

Antiga Prime had held out before the last hive structure was reduced to paste. The creep began to recede.

'Serena Calabas here.' said Calabas. 'Our scanners aren't detecting anymore zerg hives. We'll begin and exhaustive scanning process soon enough to make sure of it. For now good work everyone. You've saved Antiga Prime.'

Cheers could be heard from all the men, and whoops of joy. It was a different Alpha Squadron now. It had volunteers instead of conscripts filling out the ranks. Despite all that had happened, Emily felt warm. On Chau Sara they had fought to halt the zerg's advance, only to be withdrawn before the battle could be won. On Mar Sara they had worked to impede the colonist's progress. Yet here, on Antiga Prime, they had saved the innocent and guilty alike.

The war wasn't over by a longshot. But it was a good start.

* * *

A festival of sorts had been declared on Antiga Prime to celebrate the destruction of the last zerg hive. It was paid for by the profits of various new mining operations the Sons of Korhal had initiated. The bulk of them had been broken during the Battle of Norad II. Those that remained had fallen one by one. Of course, the com scans were still scanning the planet. But in the mean time, it did seem as if the threat had ended. Free beer and snacks were available and were made liberal use of as the party went on and on.

Serena wasn't drinking of course. She felt that at least one member of the high command ought to remain sober in the event of a battle situation. But Raynor was, along with a lot of his friends. Kerrigan remained outside the main event, speaking quietly with Emily Swallow. Though what it was they were talking about Serena couldn't hear.

'I can't remember the last time I had a proper fight like this.' laughed Raynor as he approached. 'No gray and gray morality! No accidentally fucking everything up for the whole universe!

'They were the villains! We were…. we were the heroes.'

'I guess.' said Serena, suspecting he'd had a bit too much to drink.

'Why aren't you joining the party?' asked Yamanov. 'Have a drink.'

'Sorry,' said Serena raising her hands, 'I don't drink. I've never touched alcohol and I never intend to.'

'Killjoy…' slurred Yamanov, before wanding off.

'You sound just like my mother.' said Raynor.

Serena began munching on a chicken leg she had taken from one of the food tables. Raynor looked much less enthusiastic and became a bit more serious. 'Are you alright, darling?' he asked. 'You seem a bit distant. This whole party was your idea.'

'Yeah I guess.' said Serena. 'I just feel like things are going to get worse.'

'You can't go into life with that as your guiding principle.' said Raynor. 'You just can't.'

'Maybe not.' said Serena. 'Look I just feel like Alpha Squadron could have wiped out this whole infestation on their own. Did we really do the right thing by coming here? Maybe we just got people killed.'

'We did the right thing.' said Raynor. 'The Confederacy has been crushing the little guy for years. I know because… look back during the Guild Wars when things got really bad, my family lost everything. And I was just cruising around the galaxy taking what I wanted.

'I'd became a pirate with a bunch of buddies of mine. We figured the Confederacy was slime, and that we'd be doing no worse by going in for ourselves. I believed all that crap we told ourselves, I robbed and stole, and hijacked trains. I…I was a real bastard, just as bad as they were.'

'Okay, you're a horrible person.' said Serena. 'I don't see what that has to do with the Confederacy.'

'Well see…' he paused. 'The Confederacy is what stopped me. I got a message from my family, and I learned they were ashamed of me. My dad was dead and my mom was dying. I went back home to Mar Sara and cared for her as best I could.

'See someone in the Confederacy thought they ought to take responsibility. So they starting sending food shipments to a lot of colonies. But they half assed it so badly that… that a lot of good people died. My Mother was one of them.'

'You… she died from those?' said Serena.

'Yeah, didn't know word had gotten around.' said Raynor. 'Guess there are some good reporters besides Liberty after all.'

Serena couldn't say anything. She hadn't heard about the poisoned food shipments on the news, no story had ever been published about it. Her viewpoint on the whole thing was far more personal than that, and she realized she was shaking.

'Are you alright?' asked Kerrigan. 'You look like you've seen a ghost.'

'Yeah, you look a bit pale.' said Raynor 'You okay?'

She already knew. Serena looked up at her, looking from Jim to her. 'I… I just realized that there is no one in command of the moon base right now. We've been so focused on wiping out the zerg we've neglected our orbital defenses.

'I uh… I've gotta take a shuttle up there.'

'Alright, fair enough.' said Raynor before turning around. 'Kerrigan, have you drunk anything yet?'

'I'd rather remain alert.' said Kerrigan.

'Oh no you don't,' said Raynor, 'Arcturus and Serena are already going sober your not getting out of it. Come on, I'll get you something light if you want.'

Kerrigan smiled. 'I guess one wouldn't hurt.'

Serena felt like she was going to be sick. As she made her way to the starport to commandeer a dropship, she felt her stomach churning. It was all she could do not to throw up, or break down crying. She had to get out of here and find something to take her mind off this.

* * *

It had been Serena's idea to hold the festival, and Mengsk had let it pass. Keeping morale up was a priority. Having an incentive to remain part of the Sons of Korhal beyond revenge was positive. Let them celebrate, he would work. Right now he was in the midsts of a conference call with some of the Sons of Korhal's higher level contacts.

'We've lost Vardona,' said Carolina Davis over the long distance communication array 'if we ever had it. Delta Squadron surged in with Omega Squadron as a backup. They seized complete control of the surface in a matter of hours. Most of Alpha Squadron's marines defected, they bought the Confederate propaganda.'

'I see.' said Mengsk. 'This is a setback, but we hadn't planned on holding Vardona for our plans to proceed. What is your progress regarding the shipyards?'

'The Dylerian Shipyards are more or less ready to revolt.' said Carolina. 'Provided they think the revolution their joining has a chance. Schezar's recent capture of Vardona has them thinking twice.'

'Yes,' said Mengsk, 'well I was not expecting to take the sector on ideological grounds. Just keep reminding them of Confederate atrocities. And the benefits of being on the ground floor of the new order.'

'I understand completely.' said Carolina. 'With your permission, I'd like to play the fact that their contact with us could get them all arrested.'

'That should be kept in reserve.' said Mengsk 'Threats have their uses. But compelling people to do your will is rarely an effective long term strategy. Far better to have their willing support. You've done well. Is there anything else I should know?'

'Nothing of any consequence Arcturus.' said Carolina. 'Things are going badly for the Confederacy of Man.'

'Mengsk out.' said Arcturus.

He leaned back in his chair and breathed out. He still wasn't sure if he could trust Carolina Davis. She had been known to frequent the company of the Terra Family of the Old Families. This made her a valuable asset, but it also raised potential problems. Even so, she had proved invaluable in equipping his Sons of Korhal. And if events proceeded as hoped in Dyleria, she would be even more of an asset.

Suddenly there was a gunshot and Mengsk stiffened. Drawing out his pistol he turned around. He saw a Confederate Ghost masked and standing still. Their canister rifle was raised. After a moment he slumped forward and hit the ground.

Kerrigan was standing behind him, a pistol in hand dead steady.

'…Well done, Lieutenant.' said Mengsk after a moment. He'd gotten sloppy.

'All in a… hic… days work…' said Kerrigan, words slurred and posture erratic. 'We were… we were… we were trying to figure out who could drink the most…'

'Kerrigan, compose yourself.' said Mengsk.

'I am composed!' she snapped, before falling against the wall and laughing to herself. 'I just… I just read someone's mind… I can't… I can't remember what I felt…'

Mengsk walked over to his desk and drew out a sobriety stim. One of the great advancements of human ingenuity in these past years. It was a rapid cure to the unfortunate after effects of alcohol. Unfortunately, Kerrigan almost never drank, and he brought it over to her. 'Use this.'

'Why?' asked Kerrigan. 'I am sober! I… hic… I'm…'

'You are completely drunk,' said Mengsk, 'and we have had a security breach. Now use the sobriety stim.'

Taking it, she injected it and then ran to the trash can, keeled over and retched. The alcohol was expelled from her system. After a moment she stood up, blushing in embarrassment. 'I uh… I'm going to kill Jim for this.'

'Jim?' asked Mengsk. 'I was under the impression you two were antagonistic towards one another.'

'Well we were.' said Kerrigan. 'But I learned some things which made me think differently of him from Liberty. Also, we fought together to take a couple zerg hives. And had coffee a few times.'

'This is fascinating.' said Mengsk. 'However, I am more interested in what a Confederate ghost is doing in the middle of my office? You are the head of my personal security for a reason.'

'I uh…' Kerrigan paused. 'I only had one drink, I didn't think it would affect me that much. I'm sorry sir, I-'

'Forget it.' said Mengsk, making a mental note that Kerrigan could not hold her alcohol. 'Just make sure it doesn't happen again.'

'Understood.' said Kerrigan, saluting. 'Sir, now that the Confederates know we're here, I believe we should move locations again. Once we're gone, the Antigans will come under a lot less heat.'

'Not yet.' said Mengsk made his way over to the console. 'There is one thing I'd like to do.' He pressed a button. 'This is General Mengsk I need clean up in my office. And a body bag.' He glanced back to where Kerrigan was looting the body for weaponry. 'Must you do that here?'

'Well it's just the colonies don't make as effective weapons is all.' said Kerrigan. 'This stuff is state of the art. My old canister rifle was getting a bit worn anyway.'

'Wonderful,' said Mengsk, 'let's move away from here, I need to discuss something with you.'

After Kerrigan finished looting the dead ghost for all his equipment they left. Walking through the halls, they entered an abandoned computer room. There Mengsk sat down and withdrew a flash drive. 'Raynor's contact has born fruit.' said Mengsk. 'He has sent the full contents of the data discs our strike team retrieved. Payment has already been sent, and he's agreed not to say anything.'

'Good,' said Kerrigan, 'shouldn't we discuss this with the others?'

'I felt I should inform you of our plans before the others.' said Mengsk, before opening the files. He wheeled his chair back. 'Read at your leisure.'

Kerrigan looked at the computer, scanning the documents. As she did so her eyes widened, her mouth opened and she looked at Mengsk. Then she went back to reading. Finally, she turned around in full. 'It all makes sense now. Everything, the erratic zerg movements. The experiments. Serena's theory fits with this perfectly.'

'My thoughts exactly.' said Mengsk. 'Which brings me to the proper use of this data.'

'Use?' asked Kerrigan. 'Arcturus, we can't use that device.'

'I'm not talking about an indiscriminate attack.' said Mengsk. 'Rather a calculated blow. One that will deal massive damage to our enemies with minimal collateral.'

'You knew about this earlier didn't you.' said Kerrigan. 'That is why we waited on Antiga Prime for so long. So you could use this.'

'You overestimate me Kerrigan.' said Mengsk. 'We will need to fight a decisive battle against the Confederacy in the outer regions. It has to happen before we can think about striking at their heart. I judged that Antiga Prime was the perfect location for it.'

'Then the data came,' said Kerrigan, 'and you figured we could have something else fight the battle for us.'

'Precisely.' said Mengsk.

'It makes sense.' said Kerrigan. 'As long as we keep it to a minimum the Antigans should be able to handle what is left of the winner. And we'll come out of it stronger.' She was still wrestling with her doubts on the subject. That was to be expected, Arcturus had doubts of his own.

'We have built the Sons of Korhal into a powerful fighting force.' said Mengsk. 'Now we must keep it intact long enough to achieve victory.'

Yes, events were proceeding exactly as they had to. Now he just had to keep them from spiraling beyond his control.

* * *

Serena was far above on the Sons of Korhal moonbase. At the moment she was looking through reports that scanned the planet. Here she could lose herself well enough. For the past month, the com scan teams had been exhaustively working to locate zerg hives. And relaying the information to various attack forces. Troops would be mobilized and dispatched at once. But part of the problem was that shortly before a hive was destroyed the zerg would dispatch drones. These drones would begin creating new hive clusters elsewhere.

It had been a never-ending game of cat and mouse. Every member of the Sons of Korhal and Alpha Squadron had been working overtime. There had been major battles that involved ultralisks and the acid spewing guardians. These had been costly affairs. Yet they never reached the number of casualties which had been sustained in the Battle of Norad II.

Speaking of Norad II, it was currently being repaired. The process was apparently a lengthy one. The onboard repair crews had to instruct the Antigans in the process. So much so that it had been decided it would be rechristened with a new name. General Edmund Duke had evidently not decided what the name was yet. But Serena awaited its unveiling with bated breath.

'Anything?' she asked, sipping a cup of coffee.

'Nothing yet.' said Marcus, one of the scanning crews, looking ust as tired. 'Ma'am we burned out the last zerg hives days ago and we haven't found anything. Why are we still looking?'

'Because if they set up a new one, they could create a whole new infestation.' said Serena. 'We have to crush any remnants while they're still small. Otherwise, the whole thing will start all over again.'

'Right,' said Marcus, 'so how long are we gonna keep scanning for?'

'Indefinitely.' said Serena. 'Or you will if I have my way. If they landed on drone on the opposite side of the canyon, in a matter of weeks, they could have created a hive cluster. In a matter of months, a whole army could have been formed.

'Believe me, I've read Alpha Squadron's data logs.'

'So we're going to have to keep doing this forever?' asked Marcus.

'I'm afraid so.' said Serena. 'And I mean to make sure every planet has stations like this one. They'll check for zerg signs so the problem can be fixed quickly.'

'Great.' said Marcus. 'You know there is a party going on down there, and you have us working.'

'I'm sure you can arrange for a party when you are all off duty.' said Serena. 'I'll have something sent up if you want.'

'I've got something ma'am.' said Cara, one of the other workers.

Serena looked up. A battle to fight! 'Where is it? What region?'

'It's not on any region.' said Cara. 'It's a warp space disruption. It looks like there is a fleet of ships coming at us.'

'Send a message to all bases.' said Serena. 'Cut the party short and tell them to lock and load.'

'Ma'am,' said Cara, 'it's a fleet. Three battlecruisers are coming out at us. They're being led by the Soldier III.' A tone of dread came into her voice. 'It's Delta Squadron, ma'am.'

'Great,' said Serena, 'it's Alan Schezar himself. My old fiancee.'

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

And wham line. Kind of threw that in there on a whim. This chapter was more set up than action, establishing the conflict. Next time we'll see how things proceed. I also wanted to give Kerrigan a chance to interact with both Jim and Mengsk. If I stuck to the mission briefings, her and Raynor becoming friends would be offscreen.

Let me come right out and say it here: I have never found RaynorXKerrigan compelling. They had enough chemistry to be designated love interests in Rebel Yell. I was horrified when Mengsk left Kerrigan to the zerg, but that plot could have worked if they had been platonic friends. It probably would have worked better, since the focus would be on Mengsk's betrayal of his subordinate. Rather than hurting Raynor's love interest.

If RaynorXKerrigan was tacked on in Starcraft 1. In Starcraft 2 it is insulting to my intelligence. There is no reason other than mind control that Raynor should forgive Kerrigan so fast. What could have been a genuine arc about gradual forgiveness instead, became 'Like riding a bike.'

Blizzard love stories work best when implied to have happened offscreen. They really aren't very good at writing them directly.


	23. The Trump Card

**Chapter Twenty Two: The Trump Card**

 _Alan Schezar was magnificent. He was calm, charismatic, and had his own agenda. One which he was very good at making seem reasonable. He managed to get the Squadron's all taking his orders instead of the High Command's with a few well place lines. He beat the zerg at several crucial points and did quite a bit of good. He also separated himself from the hatred which people held the Confederacy._

 _After all, he was just doing his job and trying to make things turn out the best for all involved. If that job involved taking over the Confederacy for himself? I'll bet a million credits he would have done it._

 _No wonder the Calabas family was so set on marrying him to one of their own._

 **Liberty's Reports, volume I.**

* * *

Delta Squadron dispatched it's finest to the Sons of Korhal moonbase. Arcturus Mengsk had called a meeting. Attendance was limited to Jim Raynor, Sarah Kerrigan, and Serena Calabas. General Duke had not been invited, and his forces had been left on Antiga Prime. Evidence in Serena's mind that Mengsk did not trust his newest recruit.

Serena was unable to be there personally, of course. She was on the moonbase. Even now men were scrambling to establish a defensive perimeter. Even now if she looked out the window, she could see the Soldier III looming over the sky. It was dispatching dropships that unloaded soldier after soldier.

'Greetings,' said Mengsk, 'I know you're all concerned about the Confederate strike force, but first, we have a grave matter to discuss. It seems our data discs didn't hold weapons designs after all. Lieutenant Kerrigan will explain.'

Serena looked to Kerrigan, who remained silent for a moment. 'You all know that the Confederates run a program for psychically gifted humans, training them to be ghosts. Those running the program found that the zerg were attuned to the psionic emanations of ghosts.'

'So the zerg are after you, darling?' asked Raynor in amusement. 'This just keeps getting better and better.'

'Shut up.' said Kerrigan. 'There's been a lot of research into the zerg. What we found was a small but critical piece of the puzzle — plans for a transplanar psionic waveform emitter. The emitters broadcast the emanations of a ghost, but on a much greater magnitude. These things reach across worlds.'

Something clicked in Serena's mind. She wasn't sure what.

'The Confederates would use these psi emitters to lure the zerg into isolated containment areas.' said Mengsk. 'Your colony-Mar Sara-Commander, was one such location.'

Mar Sara. They had lured the zerg to Mar Sara. It all fit into place, a portrait of horrors perpetuated for the sake of power. Serena reeled beneath the truth as it came to her.

'What are you saying?' asked Raynor. Late to the party as always. Lucky him.

'I'm saying that the zerg are a secret weapon developed by the Confederacy.' said Mengsk. 'I'm saying you were all victims of a Confederate weapons test.'

'The… the hive disruptor.' said Serena. 'Or psi disruptor I guess. They used it to cut the marionette strings on the zerg on Backwater Station. That was why it was so easy to kill them. The Confederates could send the zerg anywhere they wanted, and then destroy them.' She clenched a fist. 'Those bastards.'

'Just as they destroyed Korhal with nuclear weapons to establish dominance a generation ago,' said Mengsk, 'they would use the zerg to put an end to their other rivals. Only this time there'd be no outrage; who could suspect that the aliens were their creation? No, they'd be lauded as heroes for coming in and destroying the zerg.

'It's time the Confederacy paid for its crimes.' He smiled. 'And I know just the way. Lieutenant Kerrigan is going to plant an emitter at the Confederate base camp. Once the zerg arrive there, they'll break the blockade for us, and we'll make our escape. Commander, you will provide her with an escort.'

'Hold on,' said Serena, 'what about Antiga Prime?'

'The psi emitter will be set so that the zerg lured to the location will be enough to defeat the Confederate fleet. And nothing else.' said Mengsk. 'General Duke and Captain Raynor will ensure that the population remains safe. Now get moving.'

Of course, it was anything but that simple.

Even before the withdrawal had begun, they came under fire. They were fired on as they retreated back to more defensible outposts. With all the chaos of the battle on Antiga Prime, the defenses of the moonbase had been reduced to a skeleton crew. Now they could see Delta Squadron mustering just over the next ridge.

'All troops prepare to repel Delta Squadron!' said Serena. 'We have to hold this position until we can get reinforcements people!' She opened another channel as men manned the bunker line that Mengsk had established. There were three bridges leading across to the island. Each one had been fortified to withstand heavy assault. There were many missile turrets lining the shore which could deflect any air assault.

What she lacked was manpower. 'Mengsk I hope you've got backup for me coming because the garrison here isn't going to last long.'

'Stay cool, Commander.' said Mengsk. 'We're on our way.'

The first attack was launched. It was a probing strike more than anything else. A company of marines and firebats came down on the northern bridge. They found it held against them, and Serena watched as the front ranks were mowed down. Fire was exchanged between the two sides before the company withdrew. They stopped just out of range to wait for reinforcements.

Schezar wasn't like Duke or Reikson. He wasn't going to waste his men. If backup didn't get here soon, they would be flooded by an onslaught of Delta Squadron personnel. Schezar only needed to bring his full might here and crush the defenses with one stroke.

Then lo and behold the Hyperion zoomed into sight overhead in a silent challenge to the Soldier III. It was a tradition among battlecruisers that they not engage in direct combat except in the most critical of circumstances. Battles between battlecruisers were costly and were an all or nothing affairs. The destruction of one side would mean the stranding of an army planetside. Was it Sun Tzu who had taught to never cut off your enemies' last line of escape?

Dropships descended from above with fresh forces to man the defenses. The first had a familiar face. Lieutenant Yamanov now bore a couple of scars on his face from the battles on Antiga Prime. He and his men came before her and saluted. 'Orders ma'am?'

'Yamanov,' said Serena, 'there is a pass across the bridge south of here. The cliffs above are an ideal place to stop the enemy encroachments. I want you to take your forces down there and destroy any Delta Squadron forces you find. From there you will establish a defensive perimeter.'

'This is Alpha Squadron Science Vessel Amerigo,' said a chipper voice. 'We have you on visual and are awaiting orders.'

'Good,' said Serena, 'I want you to use your sensors to scan for any cloaked hostiles. See if you can get me a read on Delta Squadron's defenses while you're at it.' Science vessels were originally designed for research purposes. However with the advent of cloaking technology their state of the art sensors had a new use. A very military use.

A dropship landed as Yamanov, and his men marched off. From that dropship came Kerrigan, and with her the psi emitter. Serena waited for her in full power armor as always. The psi emitter was large enough that a SCV had to be used to carry it. Bulky, vulnerable, and it wouldn't take much for an enemy to destroy it.

Kerrigan approached. 'Is everything prepared?'

Was everything prepared? Was everything prepared?! They were about to call down the zerg they just finished defeating onto Antiga Prime. And what assurance did they have that they wouldn't be dooming the planet? That they could somehow lure a specific number of zerg. A number Arcturus had arbitrarily decided would be enough. And what if a few thousand extra showed up? What then?

Kerrigan sensed her thoughts of course, but that didn't seem to sway her. 'It isn't as arbitrary as you think. We have the Confederate records for how many zerg a given pulse pulls. Now, are you ready?'

'I'm confident I can withstand a determined assault.' said Serena, looking to the Soldier III. 'Launching an offensive would be another thing, however. How many of those psi emitters do we have? I mean would we be able to replace it if someone blows it up?' Don't think about what she was going to do. Don't think about it.

'Yeah I don't think so.' said Kerrigan, looking a little pale. 'This thing was rather finicky to manufacture. It would take time we don't have, and it isn't the sort of thing you want spares of lying around.'

'Yes,' said Serena, 'after all if everyone used the zerg to kill their enemies what would be left for the Confederates?' She couldn't get over what they were about to do. What was Mengsk thinking? 'How does it even broadcast the psionic imprint of a ghost anyway? What does that mean?'

'Simple enough.' said Kerrigan. 'We have devices that record emotions, feelings, that sort of thing. I imprint my feelings onto one of these devices, and then it broadcasts that.'

'So that would make yours the mind that launched a thousand overlords?' guessed Serena.

'I suppose you could put it that way.' said Kerrigan, looking a little disturbed.

'Let me ask you this,' said Serena, 'how did the Trojan War end again?'

'…One minute.' said Kerrigan, before moving away and opening communication. 'I'm having doubts about this, Arcturus. I just don't feel like anyone deserves to have the zerg unleashed on them.'

'I know you have personal feelings.' said Mengsk in return. 'But you can't allow your past to cloud your judgment. Carry out your orders Lieutenant.'

'Yes sir.' said Kerrigan.

Unbelievable. Mengsk had her eating out of his hand, and if Serena followed her orders, she would be too. At that moment Serena knew exactly what she had to do, and knew she only had a moment to do it. She flipped off the safety on her gun and raised it.

Kerrigan caught the thought and turned around raising her gun. 'Stand down Commander!'

There was dead silence.

Would she kill Serena to follow her orders? They were about to find out. Serena pulled the trigger. The psi emitter bent and broke beneath the onslaught of gauss fire, which twisted and bent it. Then it exploded into a fire of sparks. She breathed out a breath she had not known she had been holding. She'd made her decision as soon as the meeting ended, but keeping it secret from a telepath had been the hard part.

'No…' said Kerrigan lowering her canister rifle. 'What have you done?'

'What you should have done the moment the emitter came into your hands.' said Serena. 'What any decent person should have done.'

'We had orders-' began Kerrigan.

'Damn the orders!' snarled Serena. 'I will not unleash the zerg on the planet I just liberated! Do you really think the zerg hive mind is something that can be predicted? Maybe it will do what you want, or maybe it has a reason for looking for ghosts! Maybe it will send billions of zerg down here and wipe us out!

'It doesn't matter anymore! The emitter is broken. You get back on the line with Arcturus. Tell him that if he mobilizes all planetary wraith squadrons now, he can break the blockade! The old fashioned way!

'In the meantime, I'm going to crush Delta Squadron!'

She walked away, mentally daring Kerrigan to shoot her as she opened a channel. 'Yamanov, what is the status on that forward base?'

'The fortifications are up, ma'am.' said Yamanov. 'Or, well, we actually found a bunch of abandoned fortifications just lying around. I guess they must have been abandoned in the withdrawal. It was a good thing Delta Squadron didn't take it. We could have had a serious fight on our hands.

'We've posted siege tanks on the cliffs above, and have goliaths covering them. The Amerigo is scanning the whole area for any cloaked fighters, so we shouldn't get taken off guard.

'Delta Squadron hasn't tried to take it back though, though. They're waiting for something, and maneuvering their forces for a strike.'

Across the river Serena saw them, gathering in great numbers with siege tanks and marines. Vultures and goliaths. Wraiths and all kinds of other forces. Even now the dropships were deploying. The orange colors of Delta Squadron could be seen on the cliffs.

'Attention men of the Sons of Korhal.' came Alan Schezar's voice, polite and calm as always. 'I am Alan Schezar of Delta Squadron. We have you sealed off. Your off-world operations on Vardona have been smashed, and you will not be able to escape our net. If you surrender at once, I can promise all of you a fair trial.

'In light of your assistance against the zerg, the Confederacy will be lenient. Many of you may well be pardoned.'

'This is Commander Serena Calabas of the Sons of Korhal.' said Serena. 'If you wish to claim Antiga Prime for the glory of the Old Families wallets, feel free to dig us out.'

'Serena?' asked Schezar, voice amused. 'I have heard a great deal about you lately.'

'All positive I hope?' asked Serena.

'Well your uncle is furious with you, and you have committed treason.' mused Schezar. 'Even so, I must admit you handled yourself quite effectively on Mar Sara and Antiga Prime thus far. Despite that, however, you are in no position to defeat seasoned troops.'

'Care to prove that, Alan?' asked Serena.

'Gladly.' said Schezar. 'All forces advance and fire at will.'

Calls of the challenge came from the Sons of Korhal. Siege tanks lined both sides of the river and men made ready to cross or defend it. Yet still, no shots were exchanged. For the longest time, both sides eyed each other's defenses warily. They were waiting for what they knew was coming. The skies above opened and it began to rain.

It was sheer hell what happened next. In a single instant, every siege tank on the banks started firing all at once. In mere moments dozens of vehicles and hundreds of men were blown to bits. Wraiths soared overhead and began to fire their lasers. Only to be countered by the other sides wraiths. Gauss fire tore through marine armor and killed men who were replaced moments later. And moments later the replacements died.

The Sons of Korhal broke the first assault at great cost, only for reinforcements to arrive. Fresh troops were thrown against weakened defenses that began to buckle. Even as victory was within Delta Squadron's grasp, reinforcements landed. Many more red armored soldiers went to support their comrades.

'I've been told to assist you and yield command.' said Kerrigan. 'I hope you're happy.'

Serena was not happy as she watched the brutal stalemate rage onwards. On some level, she realized that Delta Squadron was losing men faster. On some level, she knew that the Sons of Korhal had more manpower to throw into the meatgrinder. Yet all these men and women had families, hopes and dreams.

The battle in space raged as well. Looking up one could see sorties and dogfights in the skies. Waves of wraiths assaulted the battlecruisers and their escorts. The Amerigo got her a report of the area. It was little more than a stalemate as well. However, one of the battlecruisers on Delta Squadron's side was damaged. Even so, a heroic defense by its wraith escorts saved it.

At some point, Michael Liberty and arrived to begin filming. Local news networks on various fringe colonies would have some horrific visuals.

The carnage continued for an entire day. At the end of it, Delta Squadron halted its assault and withdrew. Above the battle between the Antigan Wraiths and the Delta Squadron fleet had abated. For now. No doubt it would continue tomorrow. Serena looked to Kerrigan, a question on her lips.

'We've lost a thousand and twenty men before you ask.' said Kerrigan. 'A little more than the enemies side. This is exactly what Arcturus was trying to avoid.'

'Arcturus Mengsk wants revenge on the Confederacy for what it did to him.' said Serena. 'And he ordered Antiga Prime disposed of in pursuit of it.'

'You know as well as I am that the Antigans are more than capable of taking care of themselves.' snapped Kerrigan.

'Why didn't we ask their opinion, then?' said Serena. '"Hey now that we've liberated you would you mind being invaded? By another swarm of alien xenomorphs? All to give us a passing strategic advantage?" What do you think they would say?'

'This has nothing to do with Antiga, and you know it!' roared Kerrigan. 'Your only interested in satiating your ego! All you care about is feeling powerful, and being a great conquering hero! We could have avoided all this! But you had to have the glory of-'

'Glory had nothing to do with it!' roared Serena. 'The zerg are not a weapon to be pointed at your enemies and unleashed. They should all be destroyed.'

'I hate to tell you this,' said Kerrigan, 'but sometimes the ends justify the means.'

'What if it were you then?' asked Serena. 'What if you were just an ordinary militiaman facing down an onslaught of zerglings? With only a bunker and the hope for evac to keep you going against an army, you couldn't hope to stop?'

Kerrigan had no answer to that.

'…We're not going to sit here.' said Serena. 'We're not waiting for round two.' She opened a channel as she looked over the carnage around her and the reinforcements. 'Listen up men; we're going to launch an assault on Delta Squadron. It's risky, but they won't be expecting an attack now. There is a base camp on the cliffs north of here which the Amerigo scouted out for us.

'We're going to hit them during the night.'

'For God's sake, give them time to bury their dead!' said Kerrigan.

'The dead can wait.' said Serena. 'I'm going to win!'

Serena would not lose here. She would not submit to the symbol of her families oppression, as her uncle would have her do. She would not cheat her way to victory, as Arcturus would have her do. The easy way was rarely the best. She would crush Delta Squadron herself.

* * *

Schezar listened to the reports from his various Lieutenants. The battle had not even reached Antiga Prime yet. The moonbase was of strategic importance. Even so, Mengsk seemed to be throwing everything he had into holding it. light after flight of wrath was sent forth to engage his own fleet.

There were far more wraiths on Antiga than Delta Squadron possessed. With the battlecruisers, it was just about even. The Battlecruiser Mcduff was currently being repaired. It would likely be functional by the time tomorrow came around.

'Lieutenant Sanchez,' he said, 'how likely are we in your view to take Antiga's moon?'

'We could do with enough time.' said Sanchez. 'But these sons of bitches are putting up a hell of a fight.'

'Indeed,' said Alan, 'I do not like wars of attrition. And I like them even less when there is another enemy we must face. The resources we expend here could be used to fight the zerg. Prepare-'

'Sir!' said a marine. 'We've come under night assault on our northern bases! The Sons of Korhal slipped past our sentries and are blasting us with siege tanks! We need backup!'

'Damn it.' said Alan. 'Sanchez, relieve that position at once!'

'Sir,' said an ensign, 'it's not just them. The Sons of Korhal are launching a new offensive planetside!'

'Muster our wraiths and prepare to repel the assault!' said Alan.

It was sheer madness launching an assault after such exhausting combat. And yet his enemy was doing it. Then again, they seemed to have the complete support of Antiga and Alpha Squadron. A wave of red armored marines backed by tanks crushed into his defenses. They seizing back territory which had been taken. Then Schezar realized that the Sons of Korhal simply had more manpower to spend.

This was a battle he would lose. 'All forces withdraw from the northern base.' said Schezar. 'Sanchez cover their retreat.'

Goliath and siege tank teams with support from marines arrived. A vicious firefight ensued. Hundreds of the Sons of Korhal were torn apart by machine guns and heavy weaponry. On the other side, many goliaths exploded into fire, and several siege tanks. Finally, Delta Squadron withdrew its forces. The northern base had been taken back.

'This is Sanchez; we had to withdraw. We're setting up a new line of defense now!'

'Hold your ground!' said Schezar. 'Repel any further assaults and kill as many attackers as you can! We need as strong a position as possible when we use plan B.' This sealed it. He'd have to do it now; there was no getting around it. Perhaps it was for the best.

'Sir!' said Sanchez. 'We've got another assault force pressing at our primary base from the south! Their blasting their way in and we can't stop them! I'm withdrawing all forces from the outlying defenses!'

Delta Squadron was dealing the Sons of Korhal enormous casualties. The initial assault group sent against their primary base was almost wiped out. Then reinforcements soon arrived to pick up the slack, and their momentum continued. And as the dogfight continued a battlecruisers engines flared up. Groaning the mighty ship fell into two pieces. It exploded in a blast that signified the failure of their assault.

This was it. There was nothing else they could do. Schezar looked to his ensigns. 'Open a channel to the Sons of Korhal.'

Serena had personally led the assault on the northern base. Watched a lot of good men die in the process. Even as she'd reduced it, however, Kerrigan launched an assault of her own on the orders of General Mengsk. Delta Squadron put up and excellent fight, killing hundreds as they came. Yet Kerrigan had driven her men forward regardless of cost.

It made sense. The Sons of Korhal had an entire planet worth of manpower. Delta Squadron had only a few ships. Yet as Serena walked among the corpses of dead men she wondered if it was worth it.

Above them, she saw the Soldier III come towards the moon. Dropships were fleeing towards the ship. They went alongside those portable structures which had not been captured. Delta Squadron had been routed on the ground, but the battle in space was still going strong. Schezar had yet more troops to send.

'This is Commander Schezar,' said a voice, sounding ill, 'I want to parley with General Mengsk at once.'

There was silence for a moment. Then the Hyperion went out from where it stood overhead to meet its rival face to face. 'This is General Mengsk of the Sons of Korhal. Antiga Prime has rightfully overthrown the tyranny of the Confederacy of Man. They have done so in response to abuses too numerous to list. Your assault has failed. Your beachhead is destroyed. And unless you intend to waste even more of your men, I suggest you withdraw from my territory.'

'Your death toll is hardly insignificant.' said Schezar. 'I wish to negotiate a truce between the Confederacy and the Sons of Korhal.'

'…You dare?' said Mengsk, voice livid. 'I will consider such an offer when the scouring of Korhal is repaid in kind! I will consider when the billions who were murdered by your government are given justice! When Tarsonis burns to ashes beneath my gaze, then there will be an end to hostilities!

'Until then the Confederacy remains my enemy!'

The statement was filled with a fury which Serena had never heard from Arcturus, and no one spoke a word. Serena had the feeling she had just seen a glimpse of the real Arcturus. He wanted nothing less than to pay back the Confederacy in kind for what it had done to him and so many others.

'An eloquent summary of your vendetta.' said Schezar. 'However, there is a zerg invasion even now devouring whole colonies. Now does not seem the time for us to waste all that remains of our forces fighting each other.'

'…State your terms, Commander.' said Mengsk. 'And I may consider a temporary halt to hostilities.'

'Simple enough.' said Schezar. 'The Confederacy will recognize the independence of Antiga Prime and Mar Sara. In return, you will cease your attacks on our colonies. This truce will last a period of two months, during which we will focus our full attention on the threat of the zerg.'

'Arcturus,' said Raynor over the com, 'it can't hurt to put off paying them back for a while.'

'They will recognize Mar Sara and Antiga Prime.' pointed out Serena. 'This is what we wanted.'

Kerrigan remained silent. 'The zerg are a serious threat, sir. And time is against the Confederacy anyway.'

For a long, long moment Mengsk remained silent. Then he spoke. 'Agreed. Bury your dead and get the off of my planet.'

'As you wish.' said Schezar. 'I admire the bravery and skill with which your men have conducted themselves. They are worthy opponents.'

'Go to hell.' Mengsk replied.

The rain poured down all the harder and washed away the blood. Yet the corpses remained.

The Battle of Antiga Prime ended in bloody stalemate. A little more than ten thousand people died in the bloodshed. Between Delta Squadron and the Sons of Korhal. Even if a stalemate was as good as a victory for the Sons of Korhal no one was cheered by the result. Lots of people had lost friends and family.

Mengsk was no exception. He had been disobeyed in the most direct fashion possible. Worse still, Raynor didn't seem to have a problem with it. Even Kerrigan seemed somewhat less concerned than she should have been. Worse still, the fiasco with the psi emitter was meant to be kept a secret. The most he was able to do was let the rumors of a kind of falling out between Kerrigan and Serena to spread.

He was very glad he had rescued Duke now. He needed someone ruthless enough to do what needed to be done. Now he needed a way to do it without alienating the other members of his staff. If this was too much for them, what he had planned to do would be intolerable.

'Ignore what you heard out there.' said Mengsk over the meeting table. 'This truce is an illusion. The Confederacy is reeling, and they want the time to get back on their feet. We'll launch our assault on Tarsonis as soon as possible.'

'We should wait.' said Serena.

Mengsk looked at her, having to suppress his fury. 'You disobeyed a direct order, Commander. Your task was to plant the psi emitter, not engage Delta Squadron in a brutal war of attrition! You sacrificed the lives of thousands to advance your personal agenda!'

'Oh you mean like you were going to sacrifice everyone on Antiga Prime to advance your personal agenda?' said Serena. 'Nobody joined you to destroy Tarsonis. Hell, we don't even know how these psi emitters work, and you wanted us to use one on a friendly world?!'

'We will do whatever it takes to save humanity.' snapped Arcturus. 'Our responsibility is too great to do any less.'

'You are not the God Emperor of Mankind.' said Serena. 'And even if you were no one has the right to make the kind of decision you tried to make just now. If you were concerned about saving humanity, you wouldn't have come here in the first place. If we hadn't shown up on Antiga Prime Duke might have purged the zerg on his own. And we could have done something that actually helped people.'

'The Confederacy is a clear and present danger to humanity.' shot Arcturus. 'They have already unleashed the zerg on multiple innocents worlds. And they must be removed, or other planets will suffer the same fate as Chau Sara. I would have thought, Magistrate, that you might realize the implications of their actions.'

'Oh I realize the implications.' said Serena. 'That's why this singleminded revenge scheme of your worries me. You literally just tried to consign an entire planet to oblivion to destroy one army!'

Arcturus saw red. 'Don't even think about-'

'Stop it both of you!' roared Kerrigan suddenly, slamming her fist on the table. Silence fell over them, as both turned to the red-haired ghost. 'Are you two through?'

'She's right man,' said Raynor, 'save it for the zerg.'

'That's what I've been saying we should do all this time.' said Serena. 'This truce with the Confederacy was made so they could get ready for round two. But our influence is still growing. As long as we don't suffer any devastating defeats, we'll keep getting stronger.

'In the meantime, Schezar was right. We can focus on the zerg and help out the various colonies with our new resources. Hell, since the Confederates will have to put down rebellions, we'll be better at it than them.'

Mengsk realized that he was outvoted. He could not risk alienating everyone in his command staff for revenge. His goals were too long term for that. He would need another means of dealing with Tarsonis. Yes, he could adapt. He had adapted all his life, and he would do so now.

'Actually,' said Raynor, 'I figure we ought to spread the word around about what we did here. Nothing open, but we can get a lot more recruits.' He paused. 'Also, well… what if we revealed what we found out about what the Confederacy was doing?'

Mengsk remained silent. He had not even considered that angle. He stroked his beard as he considered the resulting public outrage. It could be a valuable asset if properly channeled. 'That may well be a better idea than you realize, Jim.'

It was nearly as karmic as using the psi emitters. With less collateral. Clean and simple. Mengsk liked the idea.

'If we reveal that the Confederates used the psi emitters,' said Kerrigan, 'it will throw into question all the victories they won over the zerg. Even if they didn't use the psi emitters, people will think they might have. That will be as bad for them as having done it.'

'It is a good plan.' said Mengsk. 'However, the timing is everything. We won't come out with any proof yet; we'll just spread some vague rumors to heat things up. Then, when the iron is hot, we'll show the sector the Confederacy's true colors.

'For now, we will rebuild our forces and make preparations for our final offensive.'

Antiga Prime had weathered the storm. Yet the storm had not yet abated, merely passed on to a dozen other worlds. The war was only getting started.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Mengsk seemed a bit odd in this chapter. I figured it made sense for him to be a bit less eloquent when parlaying with a Confederate Officer. After all, Mengsk planned the annihilation of the Confederacy, soddom and gamora style. Having to compromise anything with them would leave a bad taste in his mouth.

Yes, I know it probably can't rain on a moon, just assume it's a big moon. Also, I don't really care. This is a universe with gods and xenomorphs.

Anyway, I'm of the opinion that the worst thing which ever happened to Mengsk was having nobody to tell him no. If Raynor, Kerrigan, and Serena had questioned his orders, he might have stopped. Antiga Prime was where Mengsk really crossed the line more than Tarsonis. And yet nobody called him on it.

I have a theory that Raynor operates on protagonist centered morality. Two planets destroyed makes him snark at Arcturus. His girlfriend gets chomped by zerg? He can't rebel fast enough.


	24. Fiancee

**Chapter Twenty Three: Fiancee**

 _The worst thing about the Confederacy were the times when they tried to be helpful. At least when you had a squad of marines staging a hostile takeover of your mine, you know where you stood. Several times in the Guild Wars the tragedy used to fill the Old Families' wallets got to them. Several times the Old Families decided to do some good._

 _Slight problem, the Old Families didn't understand the people they exploited. The people who they hired to do the job decided the Old Families didn't really care. So they cut corners, used substandard materials, and embezzled what was left over. Just to get to the people, it was intended a shipment of aid would have to pass through parasites and plunderers. And when it did the people who got it didn't always live through our variety of help._

 _That's what happens when you live in a society whose only priority is making money. People try to make money without regard to the human cost._

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

 **A decade ago, three months after the destruction of Korhal:**

The Calabas family residence was an opulent and luxurious location. It had soft cushions, fine antique furniture, and beautiful paintings. Serena had never much liked it, preferring the less ornate sorts of places one found in the classroom. Yet she was obligated to eat breakfast here. Every single day.

She wasn't going to miss this place much — especially given what had happened to Korhal three months ago. Even since a thousand nukes had launched from orbit, the breakfast table had been silent.

'Dad says you won't be going to school anymore.' said young Morgan Calabas at the breakfast table. 'You're lucky.' He had no comprehension of these things just yet.

'I'm glad you think so.' snapped Serena.

'Why are you so mad?' asked Morgan. 'I mean getting married is what girls are supposed to, isn't it?'

Serena's mother put a hand on his shoulder. 'I'd drop it if I were you Morgan.' said Mara Calabas. 'Serena is very upset right now.'

'I was just saying.' muttered Morgan, looking down.

'Serena dear,' said Mara. 'I'm sorry about all this. Even I didn't have to get married so early in life, but-'

'I wanted to finish school!' snapped Serena. 'I wanted to go to college and do something with my life! Not get married off to some general I've never even met.'

'His technical rank is Commander of Delta Squadron.' said Mara. 'You must understand that this is an emergency. The Sons of Korhal have assassinated most of the ranking squadron officers. Their security personnel just let them in.'

'I wonder why?' asked Serena. 'Might have something to do with the planet we had them nuke.'

'I…' Mara paused, 'we're getting off topic, Serena. it has always been a tradition that the Squadron Commanders be connected to the Old Families. By marriage, if they aren't already part of them. That way they won't turn around and seize Tarsonis for themselves since they have a stake in the system.'

'I heard that two of the new Squadron Commanders are girls.' said Morgan 'And that nobody has been able to find anyone willing to marry them.'

'That's called a double standard dear.' said Mara. 'None of the men want to be married to a woman more accomplished than they are. So we're having trouble connecting them, and Alan Schezar, the man your marrying-'

'I know mother,' hissed Serena, 'uncle did have the decency to tell me his name when he informed me via text message.'

'Alan Schezar's best friend is becoming the Commander of Omega Squadron.' said Mara. 'Gregory Reikson and Alan Schezar were from the same town in the Shiloh district of Mar Sara. They joined up together and became officers in different Squadrons.

'Right now Alan Schezar is only a few steps away from being able to stage a military coup. We have to get him on our side. The way things stand the only person we can rely on to be loyal is Duke.

'By marrying Alan Schezar, well… you are saving the Confederacy.'

'Maybe I don't want to save the Confederacy.' said Serena. 'Maybe I don't even want to be part of the Old Families.'

'Don't say that-' began Mara,

'Why not?!' roared Serena. 'We're a bunch of parasites! We'll be the first people up against the wall, and the revolution comes!'

'Oh come on,' said Morgan, 'dad says the Sons of Korhal will be rooted out and destroyed. They're just a remnant.'

'No they won't.' said Serena 'Because people hate us, and they don't hate the Sons of Korhal.'

'Dad says people believe what the media tells them to.' countered Morgan. 'We just have to keep the propaganda-'

'Stop parroting uncle like he knows what he's talking about!' snapped Serena. 'We plundered their properties. We plunged the sector into a pointless war and poisoned them with our food aid.

'The only friends we have are the ones who become our friends when we pull out a gauss rifle or a case filled with money. And sooner or later, we're going to run out of those.'

'That's enough Serena!' snapped Mara. 'If you can't sit at the table like a civilized person you can leave it!'

'Fine.' said Serena, standing up. 'I'm going to go get ready to meet my legal child molester now. Goodbye.'

* * *

It was a Thai restaurant which Serena was sitting at, waiting for her betrothed who she had never even met. He was late by ten minutes. Serena had been using those ten minutes to think about how this was not how she'd wanted her life to play out. It was how it was supposed to play out, of course. But she had never wanted to be a trophy wife even if she had been genetically engineered for that purpose.

She'd wanted to be a lot of things in her life. She'd wanted to be an astronaut. She'd wanted to be a soldier. She'd wanted to be a commander. She'd wanted to be a sailor, to pilot a submarine. She'd wanted to be a lot of things. But her life had been planned out for her from day one, and now those plans were coming to fruition.

Yay.

He arrived, tall blonde and handsome and sat down, having the decency to look ashamed. 'I apologize for my tardiness. There were… many things which needed to be attended to. At my rank, one can be called away on a moments notice.'

'Sounds stressful.' said Serena. 'Commander Schezar.'

'Yes, it, can be.' said Schezar. 'Please call me Alan.'

'Anything you want, Commander Schezar.' she said.

'…I'm detecting a certain lack of enthusiasm from you.' he said.

'Oh far from it.' she said. 'Indeed my whole purpose in life is to wait around like fairy tale princess. For some dashing prince to arrive and sweep me off my feet. Given the state of the Confederacy, I suppose a handsome war criminal will have to do.'

'You are referring to the… Korhal fiasco.' said Schezar. 'I had nothing to do with that. I thought it was a foolish idea, as well as morally reprehensible. I wasn't part of the fleet, and had I been given those orders I would have refused them.'

'My what magnificent righteous and forthright benevolence you possess.' said Serena. 'However, did you make Commander?'

'…After Korhal,' said Schezar 'a group called the Sons of Korhal gained support. You see-'

'I know who the Sons of Korhal are.' said Serena. 'I've done my research.'

'I see.' said Schezar. 'Well, Old Families were untouchable the Sons of Korhal targeted those who fired the nukes. The truth is, a lot of people who worked for them were disgusted with those who launched the missiles. There was a conspiracy which approached Arcturus Mengsk. They gave him a back door into their secure locations.

Almost all the ranking officers in Confederate space were assassinated overnight. And I came in to fill the void.' He paused. 'Actually, even that wouldn't have been enough to get me to my current rank by the age of twenty. But the truth is that after the Guild Wars there was a mass exodus of soldiers from the service.

'I suppose they were disgusted with the fact that the whole war was for nothing. And often when they left, they took their weapons with them.'

'So they were handing out promotions like candy, and then your bosses all got murdered.' mused Serena. 'Wow, you really lucked out. I suppose that explains why I'd never so much as met or heard of you before my family ordered me to marry you. Good on Arcturus Mengsk, I think I'll send him a thank you card.'

'With all due respect,' said Alan with an edge in her tone. 'that doesn't seem like something a member of the Old Families should say. Especially about those who served them loyally.'

'If Arcturus Mengsk killed a few of them I probably wouldn't mind either.' said Serena 'The Old Families I mean.'

'…You want your own family dead?' asked Alan.

'Why not?' asked Serena .'I'm sixteen, Mr. Schezar it's a teenaged tradition. More importantly, I'm not even out of highschool yet. And they're already signing me away to me a house wife to someone I don't even know.'

'Good point.' said Schezar. 'I'd be lying if I said I didn't find this whole situation moderately disturbing. But it would be career suicide for me to turn it down.'

'That is exactly the kind of thinking that led to this.' snapped Serena. 'The Korhal revolt was a backlash to Confederate atrocities in the Guild Wars. Soldiers who signed up to serve their country would capture Kel'morian weaponry. They'd send it back to base and be shot at with it the next day. Why? Because their superiors sold it all to the other side for a quick buck.

Farming communities would be laid to waste. Whenever somebody tried to help the people who were suffering they would…' She choked up. 'Nevermind. The Guild Wars happened because the military acted like a bunch of pirates. They seized private property in the name of the Old Families wallets. It choked the economy. It choked the life from innocent people. And people called in the Kel'morian Combine as a weedkiller.

'In the end, we didn't even win. We just convinced the Kel'morian leaders to sell out their people for a place in the Old Families.'

'I'm aware.' said Schezar. 'I imagine that was the primary motivation for the Korhal rebellion. Disgust with the Confederate status quo. That, combined with a great many experienced war veterans who did not check in their weapons.

'The Old Families tried to cut off the head by murdering Angus Mengsk and his family, but this was no palace coup. It was a revolution, and Angus Mengsk became a martyr alongside his family.'

'You mentioned that you thought my families reaction to Korhal was foolish.' said Serena. 'What did you mean by that?'

'Excuse me, may I take your order?' asked a waitress.

'Pad Thai,' said Serena, 'green curry for him.'

'Right, we'll be right out with that.' said the waitress.

Schezar stared at her. 'How did you know I always get green curry?'

'I did do my research.' said Serena. 'You frequent this restaurant, and you always order green curry. The UPL might have purged everything to do with philosophy and religion. But I suppose I should thank them for leaving Thai food.'

'Yes, that would be an irreplaceable loss.' said Schezar.

Serena smiled despite herself. 'So you had an answer for my question?'

'Simple enough,' said Schezar, 'the nuking of Korhal was a very short term solution to a very serious problem. Yes, for a time people will be too terrified to openly rebel. But in the long run, it will permanently mar the Confederacy's ability to get people behind it.'

'And what would you have done?' asked Serena curiously.

'…Me?' asked Schezar. 'I would have had the Confederacy clean up its act. Pour its resources into humanitarian causes. Give out inalienable human rights. Make at least the appearance of reform where reform was not possible.

If people felt the Confederacy was changing for the better, they might have been hesitant to go to war.'

'And the rebellions Korhal would be dealt with how?' asked Serena.

'I would blockade Korhal,' said Schezar, 'prevent all passage to and from the planet. They lacked a starfleet, so they would be unlikely to break it for some time. Then I would focus on putting down any lesser rebellions. Once the situation had stabilized, I would let tempers cool. From there I would open negotiations with Angus Mengsk.

With any luck, I could convince him that a newly reformed Confederacy was worth rejoining. Failing that, I could recognize his authority, and the whole affair could be put behind us.'

'That doesn't seem like a very militaristic viewpoint.' mused Serena.

'Well I have studied a great deal of history.' said Schezar. 'Many times great empires fall because they overextend themselves. They win great victories in a massive wave of expansion. Then when they lose momentum, they are stretched thin. They are then picked off by the various factions who have united against a greater threat.

'Knowing when not to fight is as essential to waging war as having the ability to do so.'

Their food arrived, and Serena realized she enjoyed talking to him. 'You're a very nice man, Alan, and I like you. But I'm not going to marry you. I mean to finish school and go to college.'

'Good,' said Schezar instantly, 'I find the idea of marrying a teenaged girl repulsive. If you get straight A's, I'll pay for it.'

It was not the reaction she had expected. 'You're serious?' asked Serena.

'Why not?' asked Schezar. 'Your family are unlikely to pay for it, and this way we can pretend to them that we may get together again at some future. I have extensive savings from my military career, mostly the result of plunder.'

'I don't know what the say.' said Serena. 'Thank you.'

'Well it is a start.' said Alan. 'Now if you leave right now you could probably make it to school in time for the second half.'

'Right, I will.' said Serena 'Um… waiter, can I take this to go?!'

She took a limo quickly to the school and raced into it, through the halls and entered her class just in time. Everyone looked up in shock as she took her seat. 'Sorry I'm late.'

'Ms. Calabas,' said the teacher, 'we weren't aware you were coming.'

'There was a change of plans.' said Serena with a smile.

Schoolwork had never been more welcome.

* * *

The present:

Though it might not stay that way forever, in the present the zerg were defeated, and Antiga Prime was secure. Delta Squadron had withdrawn its forces from this region. The Sons of Korhal were making ready to leave Antiga Prime. Victory belonged to them in every sense of the word. Serena couldn't feel good about it though, because of how many people were dead because of her.

She was sitting in her quarters staring at a lava lamp, just thinking in a daze. In the past few months, thousands of people had died because of her. Thousands of people had died for her. Maybe it was fewer in number than it might have been if she hadn't blown up the psi emitter, or may it wasn't.

Either way, she couldn't go back to how she had been. She wondered if she even wanted to. To live in ignorance might hold certain pleasures, but it never really did anyone any good in the long run. Her mind kept drifting back to that conversation during the party. Back before Delta Squadron had shown up.

She had to tell Jim. She could not put it off any longer, or she'd never tell him. Sighing, she got up from her seat, exited her quarters and made her way down to the bar. He found Jim playing cards with a number of the other former colonial militia.

'Oh hey man,' said Raynor, 'what is it?' He'd stopped calling her darling lately.

'I need to talk to you, Raynor.' said Serena. 'It's something important and it can't wait.'

'Alright,' said Raynor, looking to the others. 'I guess I'm out.' He stood up and they made their way out into an empty hall. 'Well, we weren't playing for any stakes anyway. Now, what is it?'

'Remember how you told me about how your… your mother and father were poisoned?' asked Serena. 'Those foodshipments from the Confederacy?'

'Yeah,' said Raynor, appearance darkening.

Serena could hardly speak. Yet she had to. 'It was my idea!'

'What do you mean?' asked Raynor.

'I… I wanted to do something to help people, so I asked my Father about it." said Serena. "He… he made all the arrangements but… but the food company we bought the materials from cheated us. They used sub standard materials to save money, and… and all that happened.

"My Father, when he found out what had happened, he… he grew more and more distant and then… he took his own life.

"I'm sorry! I'm so-'

'Stop.' said Raynor, raising a hand. 'You weren't the one who assembled the food you knew was going to starving folks. It was a good idea, and the Confederacy screwed it up.

'It happens. Believe me, I know.

'We are who we choose to be. And as far as I'm concerned, you choose to do the right thing, like your Father did. It was the food company that did it all.'

'But we should have checked it, we should have… should have inspected it or-' began Serena.

'There are a lot of things we all should have done.' muttered Raynor. 'I've got enough of those to fill a lifetime. Look I'm not holding it against you, so you shouldn't hold it against yourself.'

Serena shifted. He was forgiving her? Just like that? 'Thank you, Jim.'

'No problem.' said Raynor. 'Alright, I'm pretty sure there are other things both of us have to do. Remember Mengsk wants us to leave a garrison on Antiga. In case the Confederates try anything while we're gone, so we'd better pick some men for the job.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'I'll get on that now. I figure I ought to leave behind Yamanov. He's got experience on garrison duty, and he's a good soldier in a fight.'

It was a awkward way to end the conversation. At the very least it hadn't ruined their friendship.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Shorter chapter today, mostly consisting of a flashback. This one was added at the last minute. I needed a breather episode to reveal Serena's involvement in the poisoned food aid. So here we have it, along with some flashbacks.


	25. The Scales Tilt

**Chapter Twenty Three: The Scales Tilt**

 _There came a point, a little bit before the end when everyone realized the Confederacy was fucked. There had been warning signs before now. But when Alan Schezar agreed to a truce with Mengsk independent of the High Command it was the last straw. It was obvious that the Confederacy would fall._

 _Either Mengsk would fulfill his oath of vengeance, or Schezar would crush him. If Schezar won, he would reanimate the Confederacy of Man in a fashion more suiting his tastes. Either way, there was a general feeling that it couldn't be much worse._

 _Seeing as people spent two months doing nothing but fighting zerg, I'm not complaining._

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

Two months had passed since the Confederate defeat at Antiga Prime. Their situation had not improved for that decadent regime. With blood in the water, the sharks came. World after world rose in rebellion, and the Squadrons were in a constant flurry of activity. They were trying to keep the revolts down and defend from the zerg incursions. Every so often a colony would succeed in throwing off the Confederacy for a moment. Then a Squadron would come and put it down hard. But by the time they were done a dozen other rebellions would have taken place.

Meanwhile, the Sons of Korhal only grew stronger. They soon gained multitudes of new recruits. Refugees came from all over to Mar Sara and Antiga Prime. They came to start new lives free of the Confederacy and, they hoped, free of the zerg.

Then there were people who needed help.

Like the kind standing in front of them now. He was a thin bespectacled man, the Magistrate of Corisin V, a small colony much like Mar Sara. However, where Mar Sara was focused on mining, Corisin V was based around farming. His name was Steven Mcdowal, and the Confederacy could not help him.

'General Mengsk,' said Steven Mcdowal, 'thank goodness you are here. My colony has come under assault by the zerg. My militia are being taxed to the limit, and we can't hold out much longer.'

'I understand.' said Mengsk. 'My forces are already en route. Raynor's Rangers will launch an assault on their hive clusters. I'm sending my best commander, Serena Calabas with a task force to shore up your defenses.'

'Thank you sir.' said Steven. 'The Confederate Squadrons are preoccupied crushing people down. They haven't sent any help in weeks since we asked for it.'

'In time I think you will find we share your frustration.' said Mengsk. 'For now, we'll deal with the zerg.' He cut the channel. Then he glanced back. 'We hardly need a rebellion at this stage. I need only politely ask them to join us, and we would become their official government.

'Calabas' disobedience has yielded unexpected fruit, Lieutenant.'

'Yes, well she tries.' said Kerrigan. 'I got in contact with Duke. He has annihilated the zerg from that infested world. The one we had to evacuate the colonists from. I can't remember its name.' The bridge crew were enthusiastic but dutiful. Their surface thoughts were of the colonists and other normal things.

'Orion.' said Mengsk. 'Things are going very well for us indeed.' Mengsk was pleased. But also troubled, and Kerrigan knew why. He'd hoped to draw off some of the zerg from surrounding worlds to Antiga Prime, to a well-defended target.

Silence took them. The plan had been a cunning one. Liberate the doomed world of Antiga Prime to start the rebellion. Arrange for evacuation for the colonists. Then lure billions of zerg down there so that the protoss could glass the place and slow the things down. The problem was that things had gone too well, and Mengsk had had to abandon his end game.

'Now those billions of zerg were rampaging, and they had to check them.

'The problem is that the zerg keep on coming after us.' said Kerrigan. 'Between us and the squadrons we've killed billions of them. What are they after?'

'The question poses an interesting problem.' said Mengsk. 'What does an alien hive mind want? After all, they do not need to eat us. And from what we know of them they could exist on one of the barren worlds stretching out through space.

'Why lose so many of its species for the sake of something you don't need?

'But we already know what we want, don't they?' His voice was grim.

'Ghosts,' said Kerrigan, reading his thoughts well enough. 'or psychics. Is that what you mean?'

Arcturus was troubled, but he was also unreadable beyond that. His thoughts kept shifting like they did when he was nervous. 'Yes.' he said, 'Captain Raynor mentioned that the zerg infested a terran Command Center on Mar Sara. We've encountered several others like it since. It seems these creatures have an unhealthy interest in humans. And they are attracted to psionically sensitive individuals.'

'Arcturus what are you getting at?' said Kerrigan, trying to read him.

'I'm not sure.' said Mengsk. 'I'm afraid these things won't stop until they get what they want. And I'm beginning to have doubts about whether we can kill them all. For now, get in contact with General Duke, tell him to meet the Hyperion over Antiga Prime before the end of the week. It's nearly time for the big push.

'Does Serena have her story straight?'

'Of course.' said Kerrigan. 'Though she doesn't see why it was necessary to omit some of the Confederate contributions.'

'Propaganda is a tool which I use as well.' said Mengsk. 'For our purposes, the Confederacy must look not only tyrannical, but also incompetent. Which they are, to a large extent.'

'Right.' said Kerrigan. Everything was in motion.

Soon the pieces would fall into place, and they would see once and for all where public opinion really stood. Even so, Kerrigan was troubled, for something about this mission seemed very wrong.

* * *

The defenses had been erected. The core colonists had been drawn back to a defensive position. Now Serena and her men were holding their ground against an onslaught of zerg. The local militia were far too few in number to provide more than moderate support. And as the battle raged outside her HQ, she met with him.

No serious assaults had been mounted against them before this point. It was the only reason they were still alive. 'Yamanov,' said Serena, 'what is the status of the defense?'

'We're holding our ground, ma'am.' said Yamanov. 'But it looks like the Confederate garrison was pulled out a couple of hours ago.' Yamanov had been pulled off Antiga Prime to deal with the situation. Serena felt bad about pulling him off what was more or less shore leave. But crisis points like this needed every good soldier they could get.

'Odd,' said Serena, 'I was under the impression that Schezar had abandoned that strategy.' Something didn't ring right here. 'Alright shore up the defenses, and no one try to launch any assaults. Remember, we're just keeping the colony intact while Raynor's plays hero. If things go bad, we need to have the forces to pull off-world.'

A door opened, and Mcdowal entered. 'You wanted to talk to me, Commander Serena?'

'I'm not impressed with your militia, Mr. Mcdowal.' Serena said, letting her displeasure be known in her voice.

'We're just a small farming colony.' said Mcdowal.

'And this somehow makes you immune to death?' asked Serena. 'As the Magistrate of a colony, your duty is to ensure that the militia remains strong. Strong enough to defend against outside threats for days, or even weeks at a time. If we hadn't responded to your call as quickly as we did it's likely you would have been overrun.' She paused. 'As of this moment, I am initiating a series of military reforms.' Picking up a file she handed it to him.

Mcdowal looked through them. 'You want every one of capable in the militia? How could society function?'

'Quite well.' said Serena. 'They will be forced to take a few hours out of every day for training with the militia, at a minimum. As a result, you will have a large pool of manpower from which to draw an army. You don't have to use them all at once.' She paused, because something wasn't right, then opened a channel. 'Jim, what's the status on the purge?'

'There are dozens of hive clusters down here.' said Jim. 'The zerg must have been here for months. My boys and I are working on it, but it'll take time.'

'Keep at it.' said Serena, as alarmbells rung in her mind. 'There are too many zerg here.'

'We agree on that.' said Mcdowal.

'No, I mean for this level of resistance.' said Serena. 'By the time the zerg presence got to the level it is you should have all been dead. Especially since the garrison pulled out for-' She stopped. 'For no reason.' Realization dawned and something clicked into place. She scrambled for communication. 'Arcturus this is Serena! Scramble evacuation ships and pull everyone off Corisin V now! There are psi emitters on the surface!'

'Are you sure?' asked Mengsk.

'The Confederate garrison pulled out before we got here.' said Serena. 'But the Confederates haven't done that in months, the Squadrons hate abandoning worlds. The zerg are here in force, but passive. And despite this area being near Confederate space the Squadrons have made no attempt to save it.

'It's a trap!'

'Understood,' said Mengsk, 'dropships are en route. I'm ordering Raynor to begin evacuation. Stand ready to receive us.'

She turned off the channel. 'Mcdowal, get to your people and prep them for immediate evac. Tell them to take what they can, but not to burden themselves.

This place is about to become a killing ground.' Then she opened another channel. 'All militia and Sons of Korhal soldiers be advised the objective has changed. We are evacing back to the hyperion and our transport ships with the colonists in tow. Make ready to leave on a moments notice-'

A low, faint scream echoed in her mind. It was almost subconscious and yet it was terrible. This was what they had almost done to Antiga Prime. This was what they had stopped. Even before anymore zerg arrived she felt glad about that.

'Ma'am the zerg are swarming here!' said Yamanov.

'Hold your positions!' said Serena. 'The colonists are to be evaced first.'

'Strap yourselves in boys.' said a voice over the communicator.

Serena made her way outside and saw, like a great flood, refugees filtering into the dropships. They carried with thems everything they could of value. Jewelry, dolls, foodstuffs. Soon the entire fleet was filled and they took off back towards the Hyperion. Behind her, the sound of gaussfire increased.

The evacuation proceeded a few shipments at a time, and the pressure ramped up. On the fourth time, more dropships arrived, and they were able to evacuate more people. Serena felt as though any minute the zerg would arrive and destroy them.

'Raynor has been evaced.' said Mengsk. 'However, the bulk of the zerg reinforcements will be arriving soon. We'll have to speed up.'

'If you have to leave someone,' said Serena, 'leave me, get the colonists out.'

'The offer is appreciated,' said Mengsk, 'however that won't be necessary. Most of the colonists have been withdrawn from the evacuation zones already. The next shipment will bring the rest of you out.'

Finally, the dropships arrived and Serena opened a channel. 'Alright men rides here. Let's get the hell out of this place!' She paused and took one last look at her surroundings. This had once been a bustling starport where people went into the stars on one kind of business to another. Now it was a warzone. Soon it would be a ruin.

'Ma'am,' said Yamanov, 'we should go.'

'Right,' said Serena.

They rushed onto the vessels, and the doors closed behind them.

They found Mengsk back on the bridge of the Hyperion and even as they entered the ship began to turn. Serena looked around. 'Where is Kerrigan?'

'She has just returned from a bit of last minute business we had to conduct.' said Mengsk. 'For now, we're about to depart Corisin V for good. My men are making the calculations as we speak. It was a good plan in the end, use the psi disruptor to maintain a powerful number of zerg in a colony of no importance.

'We'd been lured down here and committed our full forces to the purge. Then the Confederates could have lured the zerg down on us at their leisure. Fortunately, it has failed.'

'General,' said an ensign 'we're detecting massive numbers of zerg coming out of warp space. There are way more than we can handle. What are your orders?'

Even now Serena saw them flocking in great numbers towards them. Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions. Hundreds of millions. They were swarming forth from warp space towards the planet below. The Hyperion was right there in the middle. This was her fault. If she had done something differently, caught on faster, this wouldn't have happened.

'Any last second plans, Arcturus?' asked Raynor.

'Now that you mention it.' said Mengsk, raising a control. 'Yes.' He pushed a button. There was another psionic screeching. Instantly the zerg veered off course from their primary target towards one of the moons. In that moment Kerrigan came through the door, and they jumped.

'Well I did what you asked, Arcturus.' said Kerrigan.

'What did you do?' asked Serena.

'I set a psi emitters on the surface of Corisin's moon.' said Mengsk. 'To redirect the zerg in the event of things becoming hectic.'

A cheer came from the crew at that.

'Nice planning.' said Serena.

'It is a talent I possess.' admitted Mengsk. 'Now we had best send these colonists on their way to Korhal, and begin preparations for our end game.'

As they departed, the zerg flocked down and began to create a new bastion. Serena wasn't worried, the protoss would deal with them.

* * *

'-sixteen hours later a protoss fleet flew into orbit. They unleashed a massive orbital bombardment. All life on the planet's surface was extinguished.' said the Nova Squadron ghost, standing to attention.

Isabella received the report from her ghost with an impassive face and mind. Her hands were clasped together before her face, as though in prayer.

Nova Squadron was the smallest of the Confederate Squadrons. They were more of an elite strike force than an army. Thus it had to be more indirect in how it conducted itself. The most recent operation had been deliberate exploitation of their enemies. The Sons of Korhals tendency to play hero. The zergs attraction to psychics. And the protoss' love of glassing everything in sight.

Only one of the three had been destroyed. Yet one out of three was not nothing.

'I see.' said Isabella. 'Well done.'

'But the mission was a failure.' said the ghost.

'Mengsk's forces do remain intact.' admitted Isabella. 'However, the trap was not just for him. With all those zerg annihilated, we will have some breathing room. I'll report the success to Schezar; I'm sure he'll be pleased.'

A week later, tensions were flaring as Samir Duran met with Alan Schezar. Though he should be frustrated with the zergs progress, he could not help but be pleased. Schezar's facade of control was slipping. How marvelous it was to see one who had sought to command him now scarcely controlling his emotions.

'This truce you have arranged has proved most unfortunate.' said Duran. 'Many wonder if you only made it to disguise the fact that you failed to take back Antiga.'

'And if you had directed Duke's distress call to us, we might have!' roared Alan. Yet he mastered himself too quickly. 'How is the expansion of the colonial militia on Taronis progressing?'

'As well as can be expected.' mused Duran. 'It seems that we have a shortage of volunteers willing to fight for the Confederacy of Man. They often point to our recent defeats. I've had to introduce conscription along similar lines to Mar Sara.'

'Just keep working at it.' said Schezar. 'Essential to fighting the zerg is maintaining enough numbers. If we can build a colonial militia on the major city planets it would increase our chances of holding them. Turn away from patriotic fervor and point this out to the people.

'We can't defend everywhere at once.'

'Something the Old Families are all too aware of, Commander.' said Duran. 'Your recent record speaks of it all too plainly.'

'Well it will be your record soon enough.' said Schezar. 'I am taking Cerberus Squadron's off-world resources for a mission.'

'Which section, might I ask?' said Duran.

'All of it.' said Schezar. 'I also require you to direct the psi disruptor to the planet of Valhalla V. I want a blanket sweep. I doubt it will be entirely effective, but it must be done.'

Duran gave the appearance of surprise. 'What-'

'That information is available on a strict need to know basis.' growled Schezar. 'Suffice to say that I am confident of success in this regard. This victory will help us stabilize the situation before you can wreck it any further.'

'If I'm not mistaken,' said Duran, 'Valhalla V fell to the zerg some months ago and has massive numbers of the creatures on it. It was deemed impractical to retake by Nova Squadron.' He didn't want his fleets annihilated at this stage. 'We were waiting for the protoss to deal with it.'

'You underestimate us.' said Schezar. 'Your forces will be briefed when they arrive. They are already on route. Any more stunts like the one you pulled with Norad II will result in immediate termination. And that is not an idle threat. I have resources of my own on Tarsonis.

'I sometimes wonder if you Black Ops types have not become so absorbed with your masks of secrecy and the special interest groups who insist on them that you have forgotten the reason why you were formed in the first place!

'Personal profit and control is worthless if a horde of alien locusts eats your face! Remember the fact. Schezar out!'

The screen cut out and Duran was honestly surprised at how vehement Alan was about all this. He looked offscreen to where Arturro Calabas was sitting down. The other man was drinking from a glass of wine in his living room. Duran made his way over to him and sat down across. 'I believe we have gotten under his skin.'

'Why would he order the expansion of the colonial militia on Tarsonis?' asked Arturro Calabas. 'He must realize that any force raised here would be loyal to the one who raised them. We would control it.'

'I believe that Alan Schezar is a misguided patriot.' said Duran. 'He genuinely believes that we have mismanaged the Confederacy. And he views us as obstacles to be overcome for the greater good.' Of course, then Calabas was equally misguided. The idea that the colonial militia would be automatically loyal was laughable. Not that he would say this.

Arturro scoffed at that. 'What nonsense. The Old Families are the Confederacy. Everything else is a play for the entertainment of sheep. Tarsonis is impenetrable, that is all that matters. If a few off-world colonies fall to the zerg it is of no account so long as our interests are preserved.' He poured Duran a drink and Duran took it. 'With the passive zerg hives we are growing, it should be only a matter of time before we can use them. Then we'll put the Squadrons in their place. Then no one will be able to stop us.'

'Of course, Mr. Calabas.' said Duran before raising the cup. 'To your health.'

A door opened, and they looked up. Arturro's sister entered the room.

'Ah,' said Arturro, 'Mara what is the matter?'

'Well…' Mara paused. 'I've been thinking over the situation. It seems to me that the Squadrons can't be trusted.' Brilliant deduction. 'I mean, even if they crush the zerg and the Sons of Korhal, they will turn around and take Tarsonis for themselves.'

'Yes Mara,' said Arturro patiently, 'we have the situation under control. We're creating a planetary militia as we speak.'

'Well that is just it.' said Mara. 'I think Serena might be of use to us.'

So that was what this was about. Arturro's sister had been quite caught up in the fate of her offspring lately. She hadn't left Arturro alone about it. 'Mara,' said Arturro, voice still patient, but holding a hint of steel. 'Serena is working for the Sons of Korhal. She is now a trusted subordinate of Arcturus Mengsk.'

'Yes but we forced her into it.' said Mara. 'She saved Mar Sara, and we responded by giving her an ultimatum. We did sabotage the defense of Mar Sara, and Mengsk probably manipulated her using that.'

'Mara,' said Arturro, 'I am not going to debate this with you. These are not a women's concern, and if Serena had realized that none of this would have happened.'

'None of this would have happened if you had just encouraged her!' snapped Mara. 'Serena is brilliant, she scored at the top of her class at college, and you derided her! She mustered an army on Mar Sara, and you arrested it! She destroyed the zerg there, and you tried to bring her up on charges for treason!'

'Be quiet!' roared Arturro.

'No I will not be quiet!' roared Mara. 'I've been quiet long enough! The smart thing to do was to ignore the Sons of Korhal dropships! Just congratulate Serena and give her a heroes welcome. It would have been great PR, but you've always hated her because she wanted to be something other than what I am.'

'What you are in out of line.' snarled Arturro.

'You've created your own enemy.' said Mara. 'You created Serena because you didn't want a woman to be anything but a pretty thing to hang off a man's arm. You created Mengsk when you had ghosts murder his entire family. You created the Sons of Korhal when you voted to blast a planet filled with millions of innocent people into a lifeless husk!'

'They were rebels!' roared Arturro.

'They were people! And you murdered them!' screamed Mara.

Arturro's hand lashed out and he struck her across the face. Mara hit the ground, and ugly bruise forming on his cheek as Arturro stood over her. 'Get out. This is none of your concern.'

Mara was crying now. Duran could feel her anguish as she stood up. 'That's what you always say. You and every other puffed-up patriarch in the Old Families when someone tries to talk sense into you.

'You've done nothing but create enemies. And now you've run out of friends.'

She straightened herself up and walked out with as much dignity as she could muster. Duran realized that he respected Mara a great deal more than he did Arturro. She had a firmer grasp of the situation than Arturro did.

Moreover, Arturro Calabas was a bad man. Not the normal sort of bad coming from robbing convenience stores and raping women. It was the sort of bad which could only grow among the richest and most privileged of people. Here was a self-righteous prig who would willingly sign off an entire planet to death. Not for any cause, but simply to learn more of his enemies.

He hadn't always been like this. And judging from Arturro's expression and thoughts right now he realized the fact. When had he changed, went the thought processes? Had it been the crushing failure of his attempts to get people to like the Confederacy? Some years ago, when the Old Families had realized that to improve their public standing they would have to improve things for everyone else. And it would be at their expense. The idea was one they found abhorrent.

Instead, they retreated into themselves until their own Confederate Squadrons broke with them. Less and less were they involved in the system of brutality they had created. More and more were the agents of their power independent of them. They pursued their own vendettas and agendas. Any student of history would have seen that a New Julius Caesar was almost inevitable.

The thoughts ran through Arturro's head. He was inches away from a revelation of his own actions and turning away from them. And though he knew he ought to exert his will to influence him, Duran did not. Yet soon enough pride and vanity mastered Arturro; he could not bear to admit that he had been wrong. That there might exist a moral law, an inherent rightness in the universe by which he was a subject.

After all, if there was, Arturro was a monster. And so were all his friends. And most of his political enemies. And everyone else who had voted to launch nukes on a colony rather than accept a defeat. No, far better to double down and pretend as if everything was going according to his master plan.

Duran had enjoyed a similar thought process at times. The difference was that his master plan was actually proceeding. 'Regarding my plan for a hybrid?'

'The idea has potential.' said Arturro. 'But we'd have to capture some protoss first, and we have problems enough right now. Just… just keep working on the militia and we'll see if some kind of arrangement can be met with the other Squadrons. If we can get Reikson or Matron to jump ship, that could go a long way.

'You have my permission to make concessions.'

'Of course, Mr. Calabas.' said Duran.

Then he got a call. Duran listened to it and found it odd. 'Mr. Calabas, we have a potentially serious problem.'

'What is it?' asked Arturro.

'The Sons of Korhal are approaching.' said Duran. 'They have two ships, the Norad II and the Hyperion as well as a fleet of transport vessels. Mengsk seems to be throwing everything he has at us.'

Arturro laughed. 'The fool, Tarsonis is an impenetrable fortress. Even if he takes control of the orbital platforms, he'd have to hold it and wage a land campaign.'

'It does seem that Mengsk has overplayed his hand.' admitted Duran doubtfully. 'Yet, even so, I should not send Cerberus Squadron away. I'll contact the psi disruptor crews and tell them to obey Schezar's orders though. We aren't fighting zerg here anyway.'

Something didn't add up in this situation. Duran wasn't sure what. Mengsk wasn't stupid, and he would not attack Tarsonis without a plan for victory. Was this just a raid to gather further support? That was far riskier a move than the cunning terrorist had ever done before. Was he drunk on victory or-

'Shit.' said Duran.

'What?' said Arturro.

'Before we pulled out of Mar Sara the Jacobs Installation was raided.' said Duran. 'I ordered the data files destroyed, but it is possible that the Sons of Korhal retrieved the data.

'If so, Mengsk may seek to use one here.'

Arturro stared at him, open-mouthed. 'There are over three billion people here.' he said. 'Arcturus would never unleash the swarm on a populations center that large. Besides, this is the strongest defensive position in Confederate Space.'

'It might be best to plan for the worst.' noted Duran. 'Shall I have your personal shuttle standing by to evacuate you and your family?'

'Yes.' said Arturro. 'Yes, I think we'd better do so. Make sure you keep the skies clear.'

'Of course sir.' said Duran. 'With only the Norad II and the Hyperion to contend with, even Mengsk will not be able to control Tarsonis.' A slight thought occurred. 'Shall I make arrangements for civilian evacuation.'

'No.' said Arturro. 'It might create panic among the sheep.'

'Understood sir.' said Duran, his contempt for the man he worked for rising. 'I will send Commander Ethan Morris to take charge of the defense.'

It had become quite possible that Tarsonis would be destroyed ahead of schedule. Were that to occur Duran would need the Old Families alive. In their desperation, they would rely on him even further. And his experiments would be simple to go through. Assuming he could keep the remnants of the Confederacy intact.

And if the worst should happen, Duran would just have to improvise. He was good at that.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Okay, next chapter we have the Big Push. This one was set up, and also a chance to see Serena's mother again. I didn't plan that part of the story, I'll admit, but I need to fill space, so I put her in. I think it's my favorite part of this chapter.


	26. The Big Push

**Chapter Twenty Four: The Big Push**

 _It shouldn't have been that easy._

 _I guess Emily was pissed. She has a reputation for a reason._

 _Either way, Mengsk could not have been any more brutal in how he put down the beast which had become his nemesis. And after he did, nothing was the same anymore._

 **-Liberty's report, volume I.**

* * *

It was the meeting room on the Hyperion and they were all there. Yet they were not everyone who had been fighting. Raynor, Kerrigan, and Serena were only among a few who had been of great accomplishment. There was General Warfield, a dark-skinned man with a graying stubble. He had liberated the world of Torus from the Confederacy. From there he had crushed a massive zerg invasion force against all odds. Michael Liberty was here personally, to chronicle events and one other thing. He'd become a well-known face on the news of the fringe worlds. Carolina Davis could be seen as well, though what her contribution had been Serena had not yet heard. Both of them were visible via holoprojectors.

It dawned on her that while she had been fighting, many other heroes had also been fighting. What had begun as a ragtag resistance had become a movement. It had influenced dozens of different worlds for the better. She realized just how influential their actions had been, and how much good had been done by them. She felt a surge of pride. The wave had begun on Mar Sara, with a small army of militia destroying a foe the Confederates had fled from.

There were only two people on the high command who were not in the meeting room. General Duke commanded the Norad III {a truly original name} and Arcturus Mengsk. But finally the door opened and Mengsk entered, looking very pleased. 'The time for our final strike against the Confederacy is close at hand.' he said. 'Before we can strike at Tarsonis itself, however, we must break through the Confederates most potent defenses. General Duke will brief you.'

The screen switched on on the television and Duke appeared. 'I've defended Tarsonis in over thirty major battles. So I know its defenses inside and out. There are three orbital platforms that serve as staging areas for the Confederate Fleet. If we assault the central platform, we should cause enough of a ruckus to allow a small force to break through the planetary defenses.'

'General,' said Raynor, 'I'm impressed. I never figured you for the frontal assault type.'

'Well,' said Duke with a slight smile, 'the Confederates have Omega and Delta Squadron troops defending the platform. They're nothing compared to my Alpha Squadron boys.'

'Right.' said Raynor.

'Kerrigan,' said Mengsk, 'prepare to lead a strike force against the Delta Squadron team. Your task is to use nuclear devices to soften up the defenses while Duke is fighting Omega Squadron. Raynor, I want you to prepare your Ranger's to rush in and support Duke once he's broken open the gate. Commander,' he paused, 'come with me to the bridge. I should like you to join me to parlay with the Confederate Officials. I think you may enjoy the experience.'

As he led them out into the hall, Serena remained silent. She was going to confront her uncle or his representative. Yet something told me it would be her uncle, he'd been the prime mover in the Confederate Old Families. The one who invested in all the black ops and directed the others during crisis. The nuking of Korhal had been his suggestion. The assassination of Angus Mengsk and his family had been on his orders. The ghost program had been his creation. The Old Families had gone along with his schemes but they had been his schemes in the end.

He was the Confederacy, in many ways. He represented that which was worst in the ruling elite, as Mengsk represented the best.

Now Serena was about to stand before Arturro, not the insolent child sent off to fail at Mar Sara. Not the disobedient Magistrate who had interfered with his experiments at Backwater Station. But a fully fledged Commander of a fleet. This was her moment.

They reached the bridge and Serena was given the chair as she opened a channel. 'Attention defenders of Tarsonis! I am Commander Serena Calabas and I speak for the colonies you have abused! You have plundered their mines, laid waste to their fields and poisoned their people!

'We have tried to be reasonable! We have sought to coexist, only to be robbed! We have sought to live by our own laws, only to be arrested and brainwashed!

'Now they have arisen from the ruins you created. They have thrown off the shackles of your tyranny and have come to finish this once and for all! Come forth! Let the Old Families choose their representative and parlay with us if you are not too cowardly!'

She wondered if she was not being a touch flamboyant, but it had been a spur of the moment kind of thing. After a moment on the screen appeared Arturro Calabas looking cold and furious. This was too perfect. 'You seem to have become accustomed to piracy well, traitor.' he said.

'I told you I would return to Tarsonis in grander style than I left.' said Serena, leaning back in her chair and smiling. 'But I haven't come to destroy, but liberate.

'Now, I'd like to offer you the chance to surrender-'

'This is no parlay.' snapped Arturro. 'Just the preening of a spoiled child! You are a traitor to your family and the Confederacy!'

'Yes I am.' shot back Serena. 'And you made me. Just like you made everyone on this ship. We are the manifestation of your sins returned to haunt you. And I should thank you. I would much rather be a traitor to my family and my government than a traitor to humanity itself.'

'I will not speak with you!' roared Arturro. 'You are nothing but an impudent child! A pawn of glorified pirates, unfit to be breeding stock let alone be given any kind of position of authority!'

'Enough!' said Mengsk, emerging from the shadows. 'If you will not parley with my representative then you will speak with me, Arturro.' Utter silence engulfed them, and Mengsk looked at him with a certain clarity. It as was as though a sudden realization had dawned. 'It is a strange thing that one should come face to face with the great nemesis of their life. You more than any other are responsible for the reprehensible state of the sector.' He glanced to Serena, then back up. 'I also take exception to your dismissal of my chosen representative. More than anyone else here she has earned her position.

'The same cannot be same for you.'

Arturro seemed to pale for a moment, almost recoil at what he saw. 'Mengsk, I don't know what you hope to accomplish by this stunt. But it will fail. You have a ragged collection of fringe yokels and deserters. I have the combined might of the Tarsonis defense forces at my disposal.

'Nothing you can do will take Tarsonis.' He didn't sound nearly as certain as he probably wanted to.

'Of all your subordinates which one would not kill you for a pay raise?' asked Mengsk, a hint of amusement in his tone. 'Who among all your armies can you say has not had their loyalty bought at the betrayal of their conscience? Your control over this sector has already slipped and it would take very little effort on my part to break it.

'Yet in light of the already transcendent human cost, I am willing to offer you a chance to give up peacefully. Surrender Arturro Calabas and your family will be spared. I will promise you and your… associates a fair trial.

'Refuse and I promise you that not one Confederate Army will remain on Tarsonis by the end of the day.'

'Never,' said Arturro, 'you'll never take Tarsonis. This is nothing more than a bluff!'

'I'm sorry you feel that way, Arturro.' said Mengsk. 'Stand by to receive us.' He cut the communication. Mengsk suddenly looked very tired suddenly, almost old though he was only middle-aged.

'I really hate that man.' said Serena. 'His atrocities may make him the worst mass murderer in human history, and he doesn't even realize it.'

'This is Duke, we're starting our attack.' said the old general.

'We'll pay him out soon enough.' said Mengsk. 'In full. Take command of your strike team.'

Three minutes later, Norad III began its assault.

* * *

The Confederacy had unleashed the zerg on Chau Sara. On its own people. On its own soldiers. Emily and her men had been sent into battle time and again, sent to die. To protect the colonists from an enemy that Cerberus Squadron had called down upon them. Words were insufficient to express her fury.

Guns would instead.

Emily Swallow was the first marine to set foot on the platform as the troop carriers landed. Surging out of them she rushed up from the low ground. She passed dozens of derelict vehicles and structures. Abandoned by the garrison when it broke and fled at the approach of the Norad III.

'I can't believe this!' said Duke. 'Alpha Squadron never would have left this equipment behind! That's what I call sloppy!'

Omega Squadron charged at them as they came up the slope. They roared and howled in a disorganized mob as they fired blindly. Emily and her soldiers formed lines of battle and unleashed a barrage of their own. The Omega Squadron lines melted. Hundreds died in seconds, their equipment poor and their skill poorer. Some dozen or so Alpha Squadron marines were killed in return.

'Advance!' roared Emil.y 'Burn the base! Kill everyone you find!'

With a roar, the new Frontal Company charged forward. Overhead the Norad III unleashed a massive barrage of plasma shots into the enemy base. Many goliaths and marines were torn to pieces in seconds, melted to slag. Those that remained could hardly form a battle line. Frontal Company massacred them.

Incendiary rounds were fired into the buildings which caught fire. Plasma shots shot into them, and one by one they began to explode. Terrified those that remained of the defenders fell to their knees. They put their hands above their heads.

'We surrender!' They cried.

Emily remembered the sight of her entire company slaughtered. Remembered Theodore breathing his last. Remembered being alone, watching as Alpha Squadron was forced to help the zerg. Help them destroy the very people they should have been protecting. And now these animals who were responsible for all this wanted mercy?

'Kill them all!' roared Emily, before gunning down the prisoners.

The rest of the massacre took roughly five minutes. At the end of it what had once been a proud and useful base was all ashes in the solar winds. It wasn't enough. It would never be enough after what these scum had done to her! To who knew how many other innocent and guilty people! To her company, to her friends and the whole damn sector!

'General Duke!' she said. 'Let me lead the assault on Delta Squadron!'

'Not just yet,' said Duke, 'take your forces and seize the area just outside of their encampment. Then watch the show.'

'Understood sir.' said Emily. 'Frontal Company we'll let the other forces take the ground we just took. We advance to destroy Delta Squadron!'

'Ma'am,' said the soldier, 'can we get a breather-'

'Now!' roared Emily.

'…Yes, ma'am.' said the soldier in a small voice.

As a new encampment was established over the blackened ruins of the old. Kill-teams spread out to slaughter any remaining survivors. They destroyed everything that remained of Omega Squadron's presence. Then Emily led her forces in an onslaught across the intervening ground. They found a taskforce of Delta Squadron marines in their path and engaged them in battle.

They performed better than Omega Squadron, maybe they had been drilling. It didn't help them any, however, and they soon all lay dead. Frontal Company marched over their corpses without a second glance. How many of her own had died in that firefight didn't matter to Emily. How many men she had killed didn't matter, the zerg's reaction to all this didn't matter.

Nothing mattered. Nothing except the complete annihilation of the Confederacy of Man and all it stood for. Tyranny would be wiped from the sector, no matter the cost. The Old Families would be made to pay for their crimes against humanity. The banner of the Confederacy would be torn down and thrown into the mud. Its selfish and monstrous agenda discarded to the ashes of history.

As they scaled up a ramp, killing the meager Delta Squadron resistance, they came to the main base. 'Siege tanks set up position and begin bombardment! Marines, take up a position to protect them! Blast them all! No mercy!'

'Ma'am,' said a soldier. 'General Duke ordered us to-'

'I don't give a damn!' snarled Emily. 'Prepare to attack!'

'But-'

Emily raised her gun. 'Don't test me.'

There were a host of brilliant explosions throughout Delta Squadrons compound. Mushrooms clouds rose high into the air, and they were thrown back despite their armor. Emily raised a hand to shield herself from the light. Large sections of Delta Squadron were annihilated and panic spread through their ranks. This was a perfect chance to crush them.

Sarah Kerrigan appeared. 'You… what are you even doing here?' she asked. 'You are supposed to be assaulting Omega Squadron?!'

'We've already killed them all.' said Emily.

Kerrigan, a telepath as always, scanned her and her eyes widened. 'You killed all the prisoners. They were surrendering!'

'Ma'am, I must inform you that you can shove it!' roared Emily 'Press the attack! Kill everyone you find!'

The assault on Delta Squadron more difficult than Omega Squadron. Some of her men were killed, a significant portion of course. But compared to the mountains of bodies they left behind them it was nothing. Emily gunned down three men, then turned around to gun down five more. She wasn't on stims, but she saw nothing but red. She rushed through what remained of the base, shooting everything in sight.

There was an explosion near her which killed several of her men. A siege tank had entered siege mode, and Delta Squadron was rallying around it. With a roar Emily charged at it, firing repeatedly. Each of her shots pierced the face plate of a Confederate soldier, and the shot of the tank was off. Drawing out an explosive designed for use on buildings, Swallow set it to the tank. She rushed off as it came out of siege mode and activated it.

It exploded with white light. Above in the skies, the Norad III was dueling with two other Battlecruisers. One for Omega Squadron and one with Delta Squadron. The Battlecruiser of Omega Squadron was hit and fell downwards towards the platform. It exploded as a final shot from the Norad two blew it to pieces.

The Delta Squadron battlecruiser was damaged and attempted to flee. But Norad III pursued it and blasted. Two Confederate Battlecruisers had been destroyed and two battle groups. How long had it been?

'Soldier,' said Emily, 'how long have we been at this?'

'Ten minutes, ma'am.' said the soldier in a terrified tone.

'General Duke sir.' said Emily. 'Give me another mission!'

It wasn't enough. It would never be enough!

'We're mopping up most of the rest of the Confederates on the platform now.' said Duke. 'But the Commander is taking shelter near the far section of the orbital platform. We've routed the evac group. I want you and your boys to take him prisoner, and all his staff.'

'Understood sir.' said Emily.

She looked to the carnage she had unleashed and shook her head. It would not be enough. It would never be enough. But she'd follow her orders. 'Frontal Company let's move. We have one last mission. Then we can rest. There is a Confederate General we are to capture.

He is lightly guarded. Let's go.'

'Yes, ma'am.' said the soldiers.

Emily led them through the space station. Wherever she went, she found the men of Alpha Squadron arraying themselves. They cheered as she passed by. Alpha Squadron had yet even fully to deploy its forces. Defenses were being erected to deflect a counterattack which would not never come.

Transmissions soon came in from all around as the magnitude of their victory set in. At last, they approached the Confederate outpost. It was completely unguarded, safe for a small force of marines who stepped out to meet them.

At their head was the Cerberus Commander. Emily had never learned his name, and it didn't matter. It was a strange thing that in all the horrors of this war that she should meet him now of all times. If there was such a thing as fate, Emily had reason to believe in it now.

'I am Commander Ethan Morris,' he said, 'of Cerberus Squadron. I wish to offer the formal surrender of all my forces. I ask that my remaining soldiers be treated as prisoners under the rules of war.'

'Do you remember what you did to my men?' asked Emily.

Ethan Morris halted as he heard her voice. There was recognition there and Emily peeled back her faceplate to seal it. 'You.'

'Tell it to Chau Sara, you son of a bitch.' said Emily.

She opened fire and blew his fucking head off. The marines who were guarding him raised their guns, but they too were torn to pieces by gauss rifles. They then set about blasting the now empty bunkers to smithereens.

Then it was over. They were all dead. Her company was avenged. She looked to what remained of her newly formed company. More than half of them had been killed in the onslaught they had unleashed. They were trembling, exhausted, terrified of her as she looked at them. She had dragged them along in a mission of vengeance. She'd gone above and beyond anything which they should have had to go through.

She had nearly repeated the process of her own company's decimation. She looked to the bodies of the men they had massacred. Had it been worth it? Yes, yes it had. She had to believe that.

'This is Emily Swallow.' she said, 'General Duke sir, there is no Confederate General.'

'What do you mean?' asked Duke. 'Intelligence clearly states that-'

'We found him dead.' said Emily. 'I guess some of our men got a bit carried away, sir.'

Duke remained silent, and Swallow guessed that he guessed what had happened. 'Alright then, I'll chide intelligence for weak information.'

'Much appreciated.' said Swallow.

It was over.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Well, here we have the Big Push.

This mission was the climax of Emily's character arcs. I ultimately decided to have the main battle be a case of unstoppable rage for Emily Swallow. After all, she has more or less learned that everything she had fought for was a lie. She is pissed beyond belief.


	27. The Triumph of Mengsk

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Triumph of Mengsk**

 _Propaganda is about narrative. You take the events happening on the screen and you put them together into a story. A story that supports whatever you want to support. As long as you play it right, no one will care about the holes in your story. Plot holes are no big deal if you tell the story right._

 _The Confederacy understood this. But they forgot the most important part of the narrative._

 _The audience._

 **Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

Mengsk stared from the deck of the Hyperion, mouth ajar. His eyes scanned over the readings from the orbital platform. Things had gone well, better than he ever would have anticipated they could have gone. All resistance had been crushed in less than twenty minutes. Most of Alpha Squadron hadn't even seen action.

'Sir,' said an ensign, 'Calabas is en route with her strike team.'

'Excellent.' said Mengsk.

At that moment the door opened and Raynor entered. 'Alright Arcturus, my crews are all squared away. We're battle ready.'

'No need for that.' said Arcturus, feeling a sense of amusement. 'Alpha Squadron has already taken the platform.'

'Your kidding.' said Raynor. 'It hasn't even been fifteen minutes since they set boots on the ground!'

'Yes,' said Mengsk, 'I'm a bit surprised myself. We seem to have overestimated Tarsonis' core defenses.'

'Well no one ever attacks Tarsonis.' noted Raynor. 'Not since the Guild Wars anyway. It's a pretty cushy post.'

'Quite possible.' admitted Mengsk.

'We gonna move in?' asked Raynor. 'Or strike at one of the other platforms.'

'Stay cool, Commander.' said Mengsk. 'Events are already in motion.'

'This is Duke.' said a voice. 'The strike force has secured the UNN and is broadcasting.'

'What?' said Kerrigan. 'Already? You're kidding.'

'Tarsonis has yet to even half mobilize its forces.' said Mengsk, pleased. 'Calabas and Liberty got through easily.'

'So what parts of the story are we broadcasting?' asked Raynor.

'Everything.' said Mengsk. 'Standby and await my orders. I'll have some for you in a minute.'

Across the sector, televisions went blank. People slapped them, pressed buttons on the remotes, changed the channel, but it was all the same. What was wrong with the televisions? It was bad enough that the Confederate had to force them to put up with their propaganda. But now they weren't even going to keep the TVs running?

Then Serena Calabas appeared on screen, dressed in a black trenchcoat. She had a gauss pistol on the table in front of her. She'd been a real media star back during the Mar Sara crisis. As soon as she'd defected to the Sons of Korhal the news stations had portrayed her as a terrorist. Apparently, in the fringe colonies, many people loved her.

She didn't look like either at the moment.

* * *

Within his private quarters, Arturro Calabas recoiled as though struck. He had only just received the news of the defeat in the skies above and had ordered troops scrambled. Then there had been a report of a hold up in the UNN studios, and this had happened.

Serena, the impudent bitch, was smiling. 'Good evening Koprolu Sector. Let me first tell you how sorry I am to have interrupted your scheduled broadcasts. Like you, I appreciate having security from outside threats. All the more so because of how scarce security have become in recent years.'

Arturro fumbled for his emergency communicator and opened a channel. 'Duran! Duran!'

'Yes, Mr. Calabas?' asked Duran.

'Turn on your television now!' said Arturro.

'Yet in light of our mutual suffering under various factions. I thought we could spend today telling a story.' continued Serena.

'Get to the UNN studios!' said Arturro. 'Shut that transmission down if we have to blow up the building!'

'The factions I mentioned, of course, don't want this story to be told.' said Serena. 'Even as we speak my uncle is screaming orders to his toadies. No doubt a task force of war criminals will be coming to shut down this broadcast.'

'How soon can you get there?!' asked Arturro.

'One might ask why. My guess is that while nukes can terrify, they cannot inspire, or conjure the loyalty of hearts and minds.' Serena continued. 'It is the heart that allows empires to rise and become great. Money can only appeal to the crude pragmatism of mankind's most base nature.

'Which brings me to our story.'

'I'm moving forces to stop it now.' said Duran, frustration leaking into his tone. 'ETA ten minutes. This would be far simpler if we could just cut the channel.'

'Our story begins, like every story does in the Koprolu these days. It starts with the hostile taking of that which does not belong to our glorious Confederacy. Only something went wrong. The Kel'morians fought back, and thus began one of the bloodiest wars in human history. Billions died of famine and squalor, and war and untold tragedy engulfed the sector.'

She had always been an eloquent speaker. This was bad. 'Don't whine to me about your own technological errors, Duran!' snarled Arturro.

'You commissioned it, Mr. Calabas' said Duran in an almost inhuman tone of frustration. 'You demanded it be unblockable and reach the whole sector. And then you handed the transmissions codes to everyone in the Old Families.'

'Of course, my family and our allies did quite well out of the whole affair.' said Serena. 'It wasn't our sons and daughters being torn to bits. We owned the companies that made the medical supplies and foodstuffs. And weapons which were used, and if a few of our competitors were to… disappear in the chaos of the war so much the better.

'Yet, as happens in war, it stopped being profitable. Thus our glorious Confederacy sought to bring a final end to the conflict. Some would have you believe that it was our newly developed state of the art Battlecruiser that did the job. But it was actually bribing the Kel'morian Guild leaders to sell out their people. All we had to promise them was a place at the table of exploitation.

'One old family, however, objected to all this. Angus Mengsk felt that on the whole things had gone a little too far. So he orchestrated violent revolution on the greatest colony of the Confederacy, Korhal. Ghosts brutally murdered his entire family, and his head was never found. All save one, Arcturus Mengsk. Before this Mengsk had wanted nothing to do with revolution. But murdering ones family can certainly motivate.

'He picked up where his Father left off. And he was better at it.

'Fortunately, our glorious Confederate Battlecruisers proved their worth. In their first military engagement, they launched a nuclear barrage onto Korhal's cities. A world that could not defend itself. They didn't have a space fleet. You didn't even have the decency to limit the bombardment to military targets! What's the matter uncle? Don't you have the guts for a fair fight.' She paused. 'Oh, I'm sorry, I get carried away when I'm angry.'

'Where the hell are your forces?!' roared Arturro.

'Five minutes.' said Duran.

'At any rate, that put a halt to the brewing revolution.' continued Serena. 'No one was insane enough to oppose the Confederacy for years after. Yet at the same time, precious few people were immoral enough to stay with it. A mass exodus of military personnel departed the Confederate armed forces. And they frequently took their weapons with them.

'It was almost as if no one approved of our benevolent government. Yet our ingenious scientists had found a solution. The use of brain panning or neural resocialization. It had been perfected during the Guild Wars. Brainwashed convicts died in droves to take defensive positions. The prisons were emptied. Soon enough millions of convicts, from serial killers to jaywalkers. They were stripped of their rights, their memories, their personality's. All were overwritten so that they could pay their debt to society. By terrorizing it.

'Yet all those soldiers who left the military were still a problem. Because they had formed colonial miltias, and pirate gangs and armed themselves. Suddenly the Confederacy found itself beset on all sides by paramilitary groups. Our brave boys were kept hard at work crushing their former comrades into the dust. But there was a problem.

'Everyone hated the Confederacy. People who worked for it did it for a paycheck, and had no ideological incentive to keep working for them. There were only so many convicts to brainwash. So human trafficking became an unofficial source of Confederate manpower. And brain panned soldiers weren't as good as ones who hadn't had their brains tinkered with. Resistance groups were becoming more and more powerful. Military tech was making its way into their hands. Ironically, because of the very corruption which the Old Families so loved.

'Then first contact was made. It came out of warp space and committed genocide against a colony of terran civilians. That colony was not named Chau Sara. It was actually called Ares II. A small farming community formed by people who wanted to escape.

'Now why would they want to do that?

'Anyway, Nova Squadron arrived and wiped the creatures out. But not before taking specimens. The brain panned soldiers who had done the fighting were all executed just in case. It was the first of many such situations. Entire colonies were saved from the alien xenomorphs only to be massacred to keep a secret. A new squadron was formed from this, Cerberus Squadron. They had the specific purpose of containing the xenomorph threat and researching it.'

'Our forces have reached the Sons of Korhal.' said Duran. 'But they've fortified the street. They're putting up stiff resistance.'

Serena had leaned back in her chair and looked calm. 'Little by little the research bore fruit. The Confederacy developed a method by which they could lure the zerg into isolated areas. Ones' far away from anyone to harm.' She raised a schematic. 'It's called a psi emitter. It is at this point in our story that a shadow enters it. 'Someone, we're not quite sure who yet. He suggested that the ideal use of the psi emitters was not to divert the xenomorphs worlds but to lure them.

'The zerg could be used to obliterate anyone who opposed the Confederacy. Or, in a more charitable view, they could be used to bring a terrible threat upon a colony. One that the glorious Confederacy would save them from. Fear, not propaganda, has always been my family's greatest weapon. Yet the true brilliance of the plan was that fear would be directed against a faceless alien menace. By protecting people from them, the Confederacy would become loved.'

'Hurry up!' said Arturro. 'Nuke the building if you have to!'

There was a distant and audible explosion.

'…Our nuclear silos have been disabled.' said Duran. 'The Sons of Korhal have just nuked them.'

'Fuck!' roared Arturro.

'Now what more is there to say?' asked Serena. 'Ah yes, I should mention that the Confederate Squadrons were kept ignorant of this. entire affair. As few people as possible were to know of the xenomorphs, which brings me to Chau Sara. A name which has become all too familiar these days.

'Chau Sara was to be the first great victory of the Confederacy as the saviors of mankind. Unfortunately for them, the zerg, as we now call them, did not play ball. They wanted to win. When they used the psi emitters to lure millions of zerg to an innocent world, they got billions instead.

'All of a sudden Alpha Squadron found itself ill-equipped to deal with such numbers. They fought very bravely and died horribly for their government's mistake. Eventually, the Confederacy realized that they would have to commit their full power. Well, we didn't get as far as we have by being courageous have we?

'So the Confederates evaced Alpha Squadron. They swore everyone involved to secrecy and went back to the testing stages of their plan. All the better the protoss glassed Char Sara after they left, so they didn't have to worry about any lose ends.

'Unfortunately, the secret was out.'

'Where the hell are your troops?!' roared Arturro.

'Our strike team is nearly through.' said Duran.

'I went to Mar Sara not knowing any of this.' said Serena. 'I wanted to serve humanity, to make the lies of the Confederacy the truth. Unfortunately, it's way too late for that. The house needs to be torn down and replaced with something stronger.

'Now of course, all this might just be the wicked slander of a brainwashed naive moron. One doing the bidding of the evil mustache twirling Arcturus Mengsk and his band of pirates.

'But we're not brain-panned. Most of us aren't anyway. I'm pretty sure we all know that Confederate propaganda is bullshit. Let me ask you this; ignoring all this. What if I told you that the Confederacy was responsible for the deaths of two billion people?' She paused for emphasis. 'Would you really put it past them?

'Food for thought. Good day to you all, we now returned to your scheduled brainwashing.'

The television cut off. The Sons of Korhal had broadcast the Confederacy's darkest secrets across the sector. Arturro raised the com, throat dry. He couldn't speak for a moment. 'Break through, and capture them. If we take Serena into custody before she escapes we can force her to renounce the whole thing.'

Silence. A faint sound of roaring could be heard. What was it?

'Sir!' said Duran. 'A mob has formed outside the UNN! They're attacking the strike force!' The roaring grew louder. 'Wait, I'm getting reports… riots are breaking out throughout Tarsonis! Our security forces are being attacked in the streets! I'm scrambling everything I can to keep order! I recommend you immediately evacuate to your personal transport and leave the planet. The Sons of Korhal don't have control of our space yet. There may still be time to seek shelter until the heat has died down.'

'I will not abandon Tarsonis,' snarled Arturro, 'the mob has a short memory. We weathered Korhal, we'll weather this.' Then he ran. He didn't walk, he ran.

By the time he reached is personal transport a mob had formed around his own skyscraper. People were breaking windows and the security were struggling to keep them at bay. Molotov cocktails and personal firearms were thrown and shot.

He reached his transport and entered it. Making his way through the living quarters, he reached the pilots. 'Take us off!' he said. 'Head for the Ion Cannon platform. Tell them to begin the evacuation process. I've got fortified compounds there. Some of the most elite soldiers in the Confederacy are operating that place.

'I've taken steps to ensure their incorruptible.'

He made his way back to the seats and sat down heavily. His entire extended family was here, except for his son Morgan. He and a number of other Old Family wards had been sent off planet in case of something like this.

'I told you.' said Mara. 'I told you this would happen.'

'Silence woman.' said Arturro. 'I'm trying to save us all.'

'Sir,' said a soldier, 'the crowds are attacking military facilities.'

'I've had enough of this, Duran.' said Arturro. 'Order our wraiths to assault the mob. Send firebats to burn them alive if they don't get back in line!'

'You realize this might be an unpopular decision?' mused Duran, in what was perhaps the understatement of the century.

'No Arturro, no!' said Mara. 'You'll only make everything worse! Serena is working for Mengsk, if we negotiate now we might-'

'Silence!' snarled Arturro, before raising the com again. 'Get in contact with the Dylerian Fleet. Tell them to mobilize! I'll burn that whole goddamn city down if that is what it takes to restore order!'

Could things get any worse?

'Sir,' said Duran, 'the Dylerians have already mobilized.'

Judging from his tone that wasn't a good thing.

* * *

Things couldn't have been any better, reflected Arcturus Mengsk. He watched the rage of the crowds play out across Confederate space. Even as it did, he sent signals to a dozen other worlds to start their rebellions with Sons of Korhal support. Their rebellions would spark unaffiliated rebels, who would in turn inspire other rebels. The Squadrons would not be able to keep up with this.

Judging from the reports they weren't even trying.

'General,' said an ensign, 'the Old Families are fleeing the planet. They appear to be making for the Ion Cannon.'

'We lack the ability to pursue them just yet.' mused Arcturus. 'No matter, they can wait. We only need to keep them there.' He opened a channel. 'Jim? What is your progress?'

'Before my boys and I got here the Confederates had starting massacring the rioters.' said Jim. 'We had to protect folks down here. Now their all behind us. The colonial militia are backing us up. A bunch of the other Tarsonis military forces don't much like their chances.

'Whole lot of em surrendered off the bat.'

'They sense that things are turning against them.' said Mengsk. 'The Old Families sustain the loyalty of their soldiers through money. Once it seemed they were doomed to lose, their money could not save them. Keep taking control of Tarsonis. General Duke will remain in orbit to check any escape attempt by the Old Families. Make sure the people of Tarsonis realize that we have come to liberate, not destroy.'

'I think they got that much already, but I'll remind em.' said Jim.

Mengsk decided that this plan was a better one that his original concept. The first one had had the novelty of karma, but it was messy. There were too many unforeseeable consequences. And if the truth were ever to get out, he could face some very serious problems. He was glad Serena had disobeyed direct orders, he realized, though he'd never say it to her face.

'This is Kerrigan,' said Kerrigan, 'I've been scouting out New Gettysburg spaceport. Now I know why it got locked down a few years ago. There is a huge zerg hive on it.'

Mengsk blinked. 'Zerg? Even the Confederates could not be that blind. Why haven't we seen any sign of it?'

'It's not active.' said Kerrigan. 'They'tr just sort of milling about. With your permission, I'd like to muster troops and destroy it.'

'Not yet.' said Mengsk. 'If we can learn how it was made inactive the information could be invaluable. It seems that Serena's theory was correct. Set up a base camp in that area in case we need to contain it.'

'Yes sir.' said Kerrigan.

'General,' said an ensign, 'there is a large fleet of battlecruisers emerging from warp space.'

'Right on time.' said Mengsk.

Dozens of battlecruisers surged out of space and came towards them. Scanners indicated that they were filled to the brim with troops. And for every battlecruiser were several transports, carrying thousands of troops each. More than sufficient for their purposes. Mengsk had kept the newly assembled Korhal Fleet prepared.

Carolina Davis appeared on the screen. 'Mengsk, the Dylerian Shipyards declared for you without a fight. Several other worlds followed suit. After that broadcast, they couldn't jump ship fast enough.

'Also I have the location of a number of the wards of the Old Families who were sent off-planet before we moved. They're living in a fortified base somewhere in a series of mining worlds called the Baker's Dozen.

'I've sent a scout ship to scan the worlds now.'

'Your contacts in the Old Families have been invaluable, General Davis.' said Mengsk, promoting her on the spot with a smile. 'Get into a position within the minimum range of the Ion Cannon. Then prepare to attack it, but don't launch a premature assault. I want everything in our favor before we finish our business here.'

This was too perfect. And yet the real satisfaction was yet to come.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

It should be noted that not everything Calabas has said is true, even from her own perspective. She and Mengsk specifically prepared the message she reported. It was meant to have the maximum shock value while minimizing Confederate success. This is why no mention is made of the evacuation of Chau Sara beyond the fact that Alpha Squadron pulled out.


	28. Flipping the Board

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Flipping the Board**

 _So you're a petty, corrupt, and morally bankrupt individual and you've just lost a game of chess. It wasn't even fair. You were defeated, and everyone knows who between you and your opponent is the better player._

 _What do you do?_

 _Flip the board of course. The Confederacy had flipped the board once before when Korhal rebelled. They launched a nuclear bombardment. A barrage of missiles which killed the majority of the population. The surface is scarred to this day,_

 _Say what you want, but at least it set an example. It served a purpose. People were too afraid to oppose them after that._

 _That's what makes the next time they did it all the worse._

 **Liberty's Reports, volume I.**

* * *

It had taken a matter of hours for the Sons of Korhal to conquer Tarsonis. Duran could do nothing but wait, and watch as the garrisons of cities and towns yielded without a fight. At first, it had only been a few — those struggling to restore order who found themselves fighting Raynor's Rangers. Then more began to throw down their arms like a row of dominos.

And yet as he sat in his chair watching things happen, he could not help but smile at the magnificence of his defeat. First, the Sons of Korhal had shattered Omega and Delta Squadron in a matter of minutes. They had broken the myth of invincibility that Tarsonis gained during the Guild Wars. Then they had executed all prisoners, slaughtering everyone on the station. The terror of such a brutal action struck a cord in the pragmatic. With the revelations, Calabas had unleashed they had almost a moral duty to rebel.

Then there was an organized simultaneous rebellion on multiple worlds. The Sons of Korhal had all but conquered the Confederacy. There was nothing left to do but adapt. And Duran meant to do just that. That was why he opened a channel to the Ion Cannon.

'Who is this?' asked a neurally resocialized officer.

'This is Samir Duran of Cerberus Squadron.' said Duran. 'I wish to consult with Arturro Calabas regarding our situation.'

'One moment.' said the officer.

The screen changed, and Arturro Calabas was shown. His eyes were veiled in shadow, and he was looking down at the table. 'This is Arturro.' said Arturro. 'Your loyalty is appreciated, Duran. You, at least, have not broken with me.'

'I live to be of service, sir.' said Duran. 'However, we seem to be in a very poor situation. With the Dylerian defection and our defeats across the sector, I thought I make a suggestion.'

'And what is that?' asked Arturro, a tinge of amusement in his voice and a smile playing on his features.

'Surrender and ask for terms.' said Duran.

He didn't answer at first, but Duran knew he could persuade him. Calabas was more interested in his family being dominant than himself. Once the Old Families integrated with Mengsk, Duran would have an opportunity. He could move up in a new hierarchy. Pitch his experiments to a new leader. He could improvise.

'Surrender?' asked Arturro, laughing. 'An interesting idea. Mengsk would have us butchered like cattle after what we did to him. No, there is no need for such despair.'

'It is true that you are highly unlikely to survive submitting to Arcturus Mengsk.' said Duran. 'However, you may be able to convince him to spare those members of your family who were not involved in Korhal.

'They might well be able to avenge you, and in time restore your line to power.'

'No.' said Arturro.

A flat refusal. Duran almost never faced that. Even so, he could work him around to it. 'Perhaps, I have been too gentle in my explanation.' he said. 'We know that it is only a matter of time before Arcturus Mengsk wins completely. His rebellions are happening throughout the sector. Our Squadrons will not be returning to help us.

'Yet he is not aware of our alienation of the Squadrons. All he knows is that you have taken a position in a defensible space station. You are armed to the teeth with the best the Confederacy has to offer, none of whom can be corrupted.

'We have some bargaining power. It is for the best if we use it to get what concessions we can. With Serena Calabas as one of his chief subordinates, he may even-'

'Tarsonis can burn.' said Arturro, voice manic.

'What?' said Duran, not expecting that.

A manic grin came onto Arturro's face as he raised what appeared to be a detonator. 'I've had my family ghosts set up twelve psi emitters on the surface of Tarsonis. When I activate them the zerg will arrive and annihilate all of the Sons of Korhal. Oh yes, Tarsonis can burn with Mengsk. It can burn with Duke. It can burn with Alpha Squadron. It can burn with those miserable incompetent traitors that make up my military! It can burn with those sheep that Serena stirred up!

'If I can't have what is mine, I'll destroy it first!

'And while everyone who opposes dies, I will live. My family will escape the devastation to take control of what is left! I will rule this sector! And my enemies will be burnt to ashes beneath my gaze!'

Well, this was unexpected. Duran felt he should do something to head this off. 'Sir, moral considerations aside,' he began, 'this seems to be a very short term solution to a very serious problem. The rebels the Sons of Korhal have stirred up will not simply pack up and go home. Even if you destroy the seat of your own power and their leader. In fact, there might well be a race to make an example of you. In order to shore up support behind their respective factions.'

Arturro Calabas flipped the safety off, smile unfading. Duran strove for another reason to dissuade him. 'Of course, let us not put moral considerations aside. Chau Sara had a population of only a few hundred thousand, and Mar Sara thirty or forty thousand. In contrast, as you yourself pointed out, Tarsonis has over three billion citizens in it. Not to mention most of our loyal standing forces.

'Also, in light of my own firm support of you throughout all these years, I think I deserve some consideration. And I would…' Duran realized he was shaking and that Arturro Calabas was not changing his mind. 'I would very much prefer not to be trapped on Tarsonis when billions of zerg are lured down to it. Perhaps you could give me a few hours to arrange evacuation for your loyal supporters. So that they won't also be consumed in the fire.

'In fact, the situation might change in that time. Tou really should give more thought to this- **FORTHELOVEOFAMONDON'TPUSHTHATBUTTON!'**

Arturro Calabas pushed the button, then broke out laughing hysterically. He did so for a few minutes before leaning in. 'As a last service, do not reveal what I have just done. I would much rather Mengsk find out on his own. Calabas out.'

The screen winked out. Duran realized that he had encountered a level of maniacal wickedness which he could not use. Or could he? He looked up to one of the officers. 'Get me in contact with Arcturus Mengsk on the Hyperion. He is now Tarsonis' only hope.'

* * *

Victory belonged to the Sons of Korhal. All terran forces had surrendered, almost without a fight. Mengsk stared over the planet beneath him and realized that he had won. Truly and completely won. The Confederacy was defeated, and Mengsk triumphant.

It was true that the Korhal Fleet was trapped here, due to the Ion Cannons activation. But they could seize it by force. It might result in significant casualties, but they had total superiority. They would win. It was only a question of when.

The door opened and Serena entered the bridge. 'Well, I'm back. We found a number of dormant zerg hive clusters on the surface of Tarsonis. I know you want to study them, but I didn't like the idea of leaving them there.

'I ordered Raynor to give the Tarsonis defense forces some practice and purge them. They're working at it now. They need it, they're out or practic and badly drilled. Worse than the militias.'

Silence. He ought to say something. 'I see.' said Mengsk. 'We only need one hive. The rest should be purged for security reasons.'

'Are you alright Arcturus?' asked Serena.

'Yes.' said Mengsk. 'I… I have been in this life longer than I was in any other. Now that I have crushed the Confederacy, I have no idea of what I am to do now.'

'Well you are the leader of several planets.' said Serena. 'That number is likely to increase once people get word of what we've done here. The usual thing to do in these circumstances is create an Empire.'

'Right, yes.' said Mengsk. 'A republic wouldn't work.'

'Why not?' asked Serena.

'A republic is only as strong as its citizen's moral fiber.' said Mengsk. 'They also tend to be slower to react. With all the chaos of the zerg invasion, we'll need a strong centralized government. With one leader to make hard decisions.'

'You mean you.' guessed Serena.

Mengsk smiled and put on his most dignified manner. 'Well, one does not seek to become an Emperor. However if circumstances were to call forth one to ascend to a throne, and it was for the good of all... I could see myself watching over the sector.'

'Right, just checking.' surmised Serena.

Mengsk paused, unsure of how to continue. 'Duke can command the fleets, as can Raynor. However, I'm going to need someone to run Tarsonis. A Magistrate I can trust to fix things here and keep potential rebel factions in line. You understand that Tarsonis is the natural choice for beginning a counter-revolution?'

'Of course.' said Serena. 'Are you offering me a job as supreme ruler of Tarsonis?'

'In so many words, yes.' said Mengsk.

'No.' said Serena. 'Not yet.'

'What do you mean not yet?' asked Mengsk.

'I mean that it wouldn't exactly be tactful for me to immediately become ruler of Tarsonis. Not after we ousted the Old Families a few minutes ago.' said Serena. 'It would look like the whole thing had been an elaborate power struggle. Besides, the zerg are still a threat. I want to initiate mass reforms on the militia throughout the sector.

'I figure if every able-bodied terran in the sector is trained in the use of weapons things should be easier'

'We would have to pay all of them.' noted Mengsk.

'No we wouldn't.' said Serena. 'We just make training in the militia for a couple of days a week a moral duty. Equipment will be supplied by the local governments. We can cite the current crisis as reasoning.'

'Meaning that we would be able to mobilize large armies of troops on very short notice.' noted Mengsk. 'Yes, I think I see your reasoning now.' He looked up as an ensign approached.

'Sir,' said the ensign, 'we're being hailed by a Lieutenant Samir Duran. He wants to speak to you personally.'

Samir Duran. That name had appeared many times. It had always been associated with unethical Confederate research. What did he want? 'Patch him through.'

A dark-skinned man with a red beret appeared on the screen. 'Ah, General Mengsk and Commander Serena. Just the people I was hoping to speak with.'

'Samir Duran,' said Mengsk, 'we know exactly who you are and what you have been up to.' He looked to where Serena's bearing had gone cold. 'It is the opinion of my officers that you should be shot for genocide.' Duran might well be of use to him, but there was no reason to let him too confident.

Duran did not show any surprise; in fact, he smiled. 'I doubt very much you know everything about who I am. And my superior Arturro Calabas has activated multiple psi emitters. On the surface of Tarsonis. Seeing as we're all trapped on the same planet, I figure we're on the same side.'

'This is Kerrigan,' came a voice, 'the zerg on New Gettysburg space platform have gone active! I repeat the zerg on New Gettysburg have gone active!'

'Raynor here, these critters started attacking!' said Jim as his portrait appeared on the screen. 'We're fighting them, but there are a lot of hives left over!'

'Acknowledged Jim.' said Mengsk. 'Fight through and destroy the zerg hives.'

'It'll be just like Antiga Prime.' said Raynor, relish in his tone.

'You see.' said Duran. 'And even as we speak there are more zerg on the way from across the sector. Our preliminary estimates indicate that they may number in the billions.'

Mengsk looked to an ensign. 'You can we confirm his story?'

'We're initiating a scan now.' said the ensign. 'Yes sir, there are nearly sixteen billion zerg approaching Tarsonis. From worlds across the sector and from deep space.'

'Damn.' said Mengsk. 'Get in contact with General Duke and Davis. Tell them to take defensive positions and prepare to deflect the assault. Duke has tactical authority.' He looked back up to Duran. 'Lieutenant, you will relay the locations of all armories on Tarsonis to me. You will then coordinate your forces with Captain Raynor. Crush the remaining hives. Then we'll discuss your situation.'

'Understood, General.' said Duran. 'Duran out.'

As the channel cut, Mengsk turned to Serena. How best to use her? 'Commander I need you to descend to Tarsonis with your men and take control of the colonial militia. Use the data sent by Duran to initiate a mass draft. We'll need all the manpower we can get. See if you can motivate the mobs. Focus on holding ground, while the professionals handle the offensives.'

'It'll be like Mar Sara.' said Serena.

As she left Mengsk had the feeling that the colonial militia would be doing far more than he had ordered them to. And that he would be glad of the result. Still, that left one other matter to attend to. He opened a channel. 'Lieutenant Kerrigan, what is your status?'

'The zerg have been attacking our perimeter.' said Kerrigan. 'Nothing too elaborate yet, just raids.'

'I see.' said Mengsk. 'Press the attack and completely eradicate the zerg hives. Then hold your current position until further notice. We have reason to believe that the zerg will assault that location soon, and you will have to keep it out of their hands.'

'My forces are limited.' said Kerrigan. 'I may need reinforcements.'

Mengsk halted. He could spare a few infantry division to support her. And he almost did, yet even as he opened his mouth to speak he felt urged by some other force. It bade him remember, remember the way his Father's head had never been found. Remember how his little sister was murdered alongside his mother. Remember how of the three ghosts responsible, only one still drew breath.

In that instant, he was torn between his loyalty to his subordinates and his vow to seek vengeance. Kerrigan had been loyal to him. Totally loyal, she had followed orders without question. He'd even said that he had forgiven her to her face. And she had believed him. Had that been manipulation on his part?

No, this wasn't about Kerrigan, was it? The zerg had been searching the sector for ghosts. Kerrigan had been involved in experiments with the zerg and she had been able to influence them. She'd done it for Mengsk several times. The scourge strike on Antiga Prime, so convenient in timing had been no coincidence.

They had won many battles against the zerg. But could they keep it up? In time the terran worlds mobilize to destroy the zerg, but time was not a luxury they had. Unless, unless the zerg got what they came for and left. The hive mind wanted to infest a human, that much was clear from the infested command centers they had found. Once it had done so, would it really continue a war which was costing it billions of warriors?

Mengsk doubted it. He never fought a battle without some purpose.

'Arcturus,' said Kerrigan, 'are you alright? I need reinforcements.'

He had the make a decision. If the zerg were looking for Kerrigan the few hundred troops he could send would not make a difference. If they weren't, then she might destroy the hive and dodge the battle. The few hundred troops he would be sending to their deaths to aid her could be used elsewhere.

'Unfortunately, we're already spread thin.' said Mengsk. 'The hives on Tarsonis must be dealt with before the zerg arrive.'

'Hang on,' said Raynor, 'you want her to take out that hive and hold that position? There are billions of zerg out there! That's crazy!'

'I have absolute confidence in Kerrigan's ability to hold off the zerg.' said Mengsk.

'I'm already down here, Jim.' said Kerrigan. 'I can do it. Arcturus has led us this far, and we haven't gone astray. I won't back out on him now.'

'Funny.' said Raynor in a tone of bitter sarcasm. 'I never thought of you as anyone's martyr.'

Martyr? Yes, a martyr to the cause would be very useful. Perhaps Mengsk would have a statue of her erected somewhere. If things went the way, he thought they were going to go. For now, he had to focus.

'Sir,' said an ensign, 'the zerg are here.'

Mengsk closed his eyes. 'All forces prepare to engage the enemy on my mark.'

The battle of Tarsonis had begun.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

My interpretation of Arcturus Mengsk is that he began to realize what he had done while Tarsonis was destroyed. His decision to send Kerrigan to engage the protoss was made because of the sunk cost fallacy. If he didn't leave her to die, he would have to admit that revenge wasn't a justification for misdeeds. Which in turn would force him to admit what he did to Tarsonis.+


	29. The Battle of Tarsonis

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Battle of Tarsonis**

 _When Korhal was destroyed everyone was terrified. No one knew what to think, having never believed even the Old Families would go so far. Some forced themselves to believe Confederate propaganda. Others started resistances. Others just tried to get by. But no one openly rebelled._

 _The Battle of Tarsonis, or what we know as the Battle of Tarsonis, did not need to happen. No purpose was served by the Confederates unleashing the zerg on their own throne world. They were just as dead in the water at the end as they were before the emitters were set. The only difference was that a lot more people were dead in the water with them._

 _Maybe that was the point._

 **-Liberty's report, volume I.**

* * *

The zerg came by the billions. Millions of them were annihilated in mere moments. Flights of countless wraiths unleashed their missiles. Moments later the formation of battlecruisers fired a massive burst of plasma. A simultaneous flurry of torpedoes that killed millions more. The tight packing of the zerg proved quite fortuitous. With every passing moment, more of them were consumed in the barrage.

And yet on the zerg came. Like a massive orange tumor, they swarmed forward towards the formation. They expanded and spreading out. The devastation they sustained would have obliterated anything else. Never before had so many battlecruisers been engaged in so close quarters. Everything that came towards them was annihilated, and the zerg were held at bay.

Even as the main line was columns of the creatures broke off from the mass. They rushed like tentacles towards the surface of Tarsonis. Flyers distracted the fleet. Overlords descended to the hive clusters to reinforce them. Other landed upon the platform which Alpha Squadron had taken. Yet they found the way shut. Emily Swallow and the disciplined strength of Alpha Squadron had made such a defense. All the zerg that threw themselves against it broke like water on a rock. Who knew how many of their ground forces were gunned down in the defense, and yet still they came on.

* * *

Kerrigan had been wrong. When Arcturus had ordered her to influence a scourge to strike the Norad II, she had relished the karma. She had been outraged when he'd ordered him to save Duke. Now that decision might save Tarsonis. As Kerrigan watched from the ruined mass of the zerg hive, she found that her mouth was dry.

Her men were arrayed in the best defensive formation she could manage. This was it. This was the great battle of this war. Everything else would pale in comparison.

And they had to play their part. She could sense her men's fear. They knew that if the zerg choose to attack, when the zerg choose to attack, they were the weak link. But they had to keep the chain strong all the same.

'Why are you doing this Kerrigan?' asked Raynor over the com. 'Look, I know about your past. I mean I've heard the rumors. I know you were part of those experiments with the zerg. How Mengsk came and saved you. But you don't owe him this, hell, I've saved your butt plenty of times.'

She remembered how she'd woken up to find herself bandaged. Raynor had been receiving a blood transfusion. He'd patched her up while he was wounded.

'Jimmy, drop the knight in shining armor routine.' said Kerrigan, a smile coming to her face. 'It suits you sometimes. Just… just not now. I don't need to be rescued, I know what I'm doing. The zerg are coming to kill everyone on Tarsonis, and if I don't hold this position they will. I know that because… I just know. I am a ghost, remember.

'Once we've dealt with the zerg we can put all this behind us. Arcturus will build a better future. I know he will.'

'I hope your right, darling,' said Raynor, 'good hunting.'

'Ma'am,' said a fresh soldier, 'do you think we can hold them?'

'Yes,' said Kerrigan, 'we're out of the way of the main fight anyway. We'll probably just face a secondary assault or something like that.' She was lying, they were all going to die. And she should embrace the fact.

It was an impulse that was not her own. Something clicked.

'Charles,' she said, 'have you ever fought the zerg before?' He hadn't, she knew it from his mind. He'd been hoping he wouldn't have to fight at all.

Then she looked up and saw that in the chaos of the ship to ship combat. Many of the zerg had slipped past the defense and landed on Tarsonis. But they were meeting heavy resistance. Many had been annihilated. Serena and Jimmy were evacuating people to safe zones and getting things organized. The battlecruisers Davis had brought had dispatched their forces. They were securing the other regions of the planet. Even so, the death toll was already in the thousands. Most of them were civilians, there just weren't enough soldiers. It was a heavyweight, and the others seemed to sense it, though they weren't telepaths.

'No ma'am,' he said at last, 'I joined up right before you came here.'

'Right,' said Kerrigan, smiling, 'well, I'm a telepath. I've made a habit of scanning people who get too close to the zerg. And all of them have something in common, there is this sort of… impulse to despair. To take the easy road, to buckle down and hope to ride out the storm.

'I think the zerg hive mind understands us better than we do it. It pushes people to act a certain way, so it can have an easier time of infesting the worlds it attacks.'

He was scared. She was scaring him more than he was already. 'What do we do about it, ma'am?'

'You lock it out,' said Kerrigan, 'you ignore it and power on through. I'm telling you this so you remember that if it seems hopeless, you might be being influenced.'

'That doesn't make me feel any better, ma'am.' said Charles.

'Fine,' said Kerrigan, 'sorry. I'm heading to the front lines. Wish me luck.'

'Good luck.' said Kerrigan.

Kerrigan took her place in a bunker and sighted down range. As she did so the aerial swarm began to overwhelm the battlecruisers defense. Already some of the mighty ships had been damaged and were forced to withdraw. One of them was too late and exploded into a rose of fire that consumed the zerg around it. Many wraiths had been shot down and the rest were overtaxed. Yet from Tarsonis came many thousands of wraiths to shore up the defense. The local space forces had been mobilized. The assault was driven back again, the battle continued.

Arcturus had called up the entire air force of Tarsonis to shore up the front line. Far below him, Jimmy and Serena continued to win victory after victory. Things were going well, for now. Kerrigan smiled as she realized that they might win yet.

Then she saw them. Great tides of mutalisks descending upon the New Gettysburg space platform. Overlords came with them, dropping their cargo of warrior strains. On the creatures came by the thousands and Kerrigan saw them approach. She opened and so did her men. The assault was checked. Siege tanks blasted the incoming swarm. Gauss rifles unloaded vast quantities of impalers rounds. Missile turrets unleashed vast showers of missiles. They obliterated the mutalisks in the air.

No sooner had one assault been broken, but another came to take its place. Little by little the zerg gained ground, climbing over the broken corpses of their forces. Thousands were butchered to gain a single foot of ground. And yet their advance continued as creature after creature came to support them. Spines from hydralisks shot into the bunker walls, which began to erode beneath the acid.

Kerrigan didn't have to aim to kill something. It would be more difficult to miss.

Closer and closer came the zerg over the course of several hours that encroached. The line of battlecruisers bent. The fleet began to retreat to the surface of Tarsonis. They made a stand closer to the protection offered by ground to air missile turrets. Emily Swallow and her forces were evacuated after killing who knew how many zerg. Yet no such evacuation was available for Kerrigan's soldiers. On some level, Kerrigan realized that Mengsk would not have been able to pull her out. And some part of her suspected he didn't want to.

Kerrigan suspected that the sense of doom washing over her was common sense. screaming out. She ignored it and continued to shoot.

* * *

It was an emergency meeting called in light of recent events. Alan was quite calm and cool as he addressed them, too calm. His hands were clasped together and his mask was slipping.

'Gentlemen,' said Alan, 'we have a very serious problem. Tarsonis has come under assault by approximately sixteen billion zerg. As of this moment, the Confederate garrison is cooperating with the Sons of Korhal fleet. They are trying to defend the planet. However, I believe that the Confederacy's throneworld will be overrun in three days. Unless we intervene.

'I believe we should immediately take our fleets and go to its aid.'

Dead silence. Reikson looked to Matron, then Isabella who both looked away from him. Then he looked to Alan. 'Come on man? Are we really doing this?'

'There are over three billion people there,' said Alan.

'There are over twenty-billion people in the terran sector.' said Matron. 'How many of them will die if our forces are wasted trying to defend indefensible locations?'

'Most of the zerg's standing forces were thrown into that assault.' said Isabella. 'If we launch an all out assault on the zerg hives clusters we will gain a lot of ground, and be lauded as heroes for it. Meanwhile, Mengsk and his assembled fleets will be killed to the man. At least he'll be sufficiently devastated that we would become the dominant power.'

'I don't believe my ears.' said Schezar. 'You're want to leave them?'

'Oh come on Alan,' said Reikson, 'you think Mengsk is going to lavish us with riches because we pitched in at the last minute? We'll end up polishing Duke's boots after he sold us up the river.'

'Tarsonis is the throne world of the Confederacy,' said Schezar, 'surely that is worth something to you?'

'Fuck Tarsonis.' said Reikson. 'Tarsonis is brass on the Norad II and I say we abandon ship. I have never understood why anyone gives a shit about that place. We grew up a little farming community on the Mar Sara, Alan. You need a reminder of what Tarsonis meant to us back then?

'Tarsonis meant the people who jacked up taxes until we could barely pay the bills. Tarsonis meant a bunch of fat cats who were already obscenely rich hiring thugs. They destroy all our towns businesses so they could charge us insane rates for basics. We went into debt trying to buy food to eat!

'Oh, but they weren't done yet! Because the Calabas family distributed poisoned foodstuffs that killed my mom and dad. And that was only the beginning because I became a fucking war hero! I fought killed and watched men die for them! I turned down every chance to become a pirate! I never sold weapons to the other side like that fucking hypocrite Raynor did! You know how they repaid me? They created a ghost program that took my little girl and brutalized her to death! While that scumbag Duran sent me his sincerest apologies for the shuttle accident. After that my wife to put a gun in her mouth and pulled the trigger.

'I only found out the truth after I made Lieutenant General.

'Yeah, I joined the military, but I didn't do it for Tarsonis or our glorious Confederacy. I did it for a paycheck. I did it because I didn't have any other choice. With all the jobs going to fucking Morian immigrants that they didn't have to pay as much. I did it because it was your idea, you were my friend, and I didn't have anyone else in the whole damn universe.'

'Reikson,' said Alan, 'there are innocent people on Tarsonis.'

'Oh cut the knight in shining armor bullshit will you?!' roared Reikson. 'It never suited you and it doesn't suit you now! It's all an act, and everyone knows it! Right now we have the chance to rule the whole fucking sector! Everyone who could possibly oppose us is going to go up in smoke and you want to go bail them out?

'How many of your men has Mengsk killed? Just on Antiga Prime? How many people have we killed? Just this week, putting down rebellions? Making examples of troublemakers?

'Look, Alan, I like you. But if you blow a chance like this so you can keep up an act. I'll fucking kill you.'

Alan remained silent for a long, long time. Finally, he looked up, his decision made. 'You are all right, of course. The opportunity is there. We should use it. Together, my friends, we will rule this sector quite happily.'

The decision was made. The Confederate Squadrons would abandon Tarsonis to live or die. They instead would launch multiple offensives across terran space. They would destroy zerg hives wherever they found them.

It was easy. Dozens fell within hours of their operations start.

And all the while their enemies died.

As the battle of Tarsonis raged, Samir Duran sent out a distress call to all the Squadrons. This could be a very good opportunity. If he could persuade them to come to Tarsonis' aid he might persuade them to join whatever new regime Mengsk set up. That alone would give Duran a great deal of influence since he would have brought power to the table.

And all he would ask in return was the funding to pursue his research and create the ultimate weapon for Mengsk. He did not receive a message for some time. Only Reikson responded in the end. The response was simple:

Screw you. Got mine.

'…I truly hate that man,' said Duran.

* * *

Tom Kazansky and his wraith squadron had seen extended service on Torus. They'd worked under General Warfield. Now he was in the middle of the largest clusterfuck in the history of the Koprolu Sector. His mission was to destroy a column of overlords now heading for some rural areas of Tarsonis. If they got there, a lot of good people could die.

Even now they saw vast tides of mutalisks surrounding the overlords. They would need to get past them if they were going to win here. Even so, you'd never have guessed they were heading against impossible odds.

'…So I says, "Answer that and stay fashionable!"' said Harley.

'It's not funny anymore Harley.' said Kazansky as they approached the enemy. 'All right ladies, drop your socks and grab your throttle.'

The mutalisks turned to attack them and the dogfight began. Kazansky unleashed his missiles, blasting through three of the things. He neatly avoiding all other troubles. His wingmen did just as well and within a few moments, they had burst through and were heading for the Overlords.

'First one's all yours Harley.' said Tom.

'YEEHAAAW!' cried Hardee as surged ahead.

The overlord exploded in a dramatic mix of blood and fire. They raced through the explosion, feeling the heat on their faces.

The mission was completed successfully.

* * *

It was like Michael Liberty had never left that office on Tarsonis. He remembered all too well how Tarsonis had looked then, bustling, corrupt, fat and sassy. Now here he stood in the same damn building, watching as the Colonial Militia made their stand. Commander Calabas had herded as many civilians as she could into secure areas. It had been very quick. Makeshift fortresses had appeared all over Tarsonis. The Sons of Korhal ground forces descended. They began to fight tooth and nail alongside their former enemies to defend the populace. It would make great propaganda. But Liberty doubted anyone would live long enough for it to make the papers. He'd already sent out his report, and but every reporter in the UNN studios was doing the same. It looked like it would be the last one.

He looked down from the window to the defenses. Serena Calabas stood on a hastily erected barrier. She was firing her gauss rifle into the oncoming swarm. The top of her marine suit's helmet had been torn off, and her black hair was flowing in the wind. Someone was getting it on camera. With her were the colonial militia and the volunteers she had managed to scrape together. They had evacuated the people into the city center. They were now fighting off waves from every direction. Above them the UNN tower broadcast reports of what was happening.

Billions of zerg must have now lain dead on Tarsonis. And yet they were still coming. Overhead the battlecruiser Hyperion loomed, firing its plasma rounds. Wraiths swarmed around it. It marked where Raynor's Rangers were making their stand. Liberty had made a report on all this two hours ago, he'd been filled with fire, described what had happened.

Now that fire was spent. All he could do was watch from Handy Anderson's office as the fate of Tarsonis was determined.

'Come away from the window there, Mikey.' said Handy. 'It's not safe.'

Michael turned and made his way over to him. 'Well, at least I don't have to worry about getting my story spiked anymore.' He realized that he was still carrying a gauss rifle. 'I'm going to go help. You staying?'

'Yeah,' said Handy, 'I'm no good with guns. I'll see to it that you get a serious raise when all this is over if you want. When did you learn to shoot though?'

'Jim Raynor taught me,' said Michael, 'back when he was just a Marshall.' Wouldn't that be a story in itself.

As Michael made his way down the UNN studios he found an odd sort of serenity overtake him. The others felt it as well. They were all going to die. Tarsonis would fall. The zerg would triumph, and all that humanity had accomplished would fall into ruin. Yet after everything which had happened, he almost didn't care. It wasn't that he wanted to die, but it just didn't seem like something worth worrying about anymore.

Yeah, humanity was doomed. But they put up one hell of a fight, and they would bleed the zerg white before they were through. Michael surged past a reported her knew and leaped atop one of the barricades. He fired his gauss rifle, a zergling fell, then another, then another. His arms seemed to move on their own as he gunned them down alongside other marines.

Serena Calabas was next to him. She'd picked up an extra gauss rifle from a fallen comrade, and was now firing both into the zerg ranks. Dozens of them were dying beneath her sprays each moment, for it was impossible not to hit something. Suddenly a hydralisk slithered up the barricade and lashed out with its claw.

It raked Serena across the chest and she fell backward. She screamed out and hit the ground. The thing lunged.

Liberty leaped in its way and opened fire. He blasted off one of its arms and it reeled back in pain. Several more shots tore through its chest, and then it lunged forward. Michael was thrown from the barricade, the beast biting into his shoulder.

He hit the ground, and his vision became blurry. He was dying. He knew it now. This wasn't at all how he imagined going out, and he wished he could have lived a bit longer.

But then it wasn't really anyone's choice when they died. Only how.

At least he got the story out.

His vision faded.

* * *

The offensives against the zerg hives had stopped altogether now. It was all Raynor had been able to do to get folks crowded into more defensible places. The roar of siege tanks, the sound of spider mines activated. The screech of zerg, it all blurred together as Raynor commanded his men.

He'd occupied as large a section of the city as he'd dared. There were a whole lot of other boys in other places fighting to hold out. Some pockets of resistance had been overrun. Others were still holding firm, but Raynor doubted it would last forever. Nothing lasted forever.

He just prayed Sarah had managed to dodge the worst of it.

'I didn't think it would end like this.' said Matt.

Matt Horner had been shot down early in the action. He had a sling over his arm, and his military uniform was stained with blood. His face was bitter and distant, hopeless, an expression Raynor had seen all too much on his men. He couldn't stand seeing it, even if he felt the same.

'End?' asked Raynor, cracking a smile. 'What makes you think it'll end here?'

Matt looked up surprised.

'What? You think these zerg are coming out of thin air?' asked Raynor. 'Way I see it we're taking the bullet for a hundred worlds. Everyone who dies here will be paid back when the zerg lose their hive clusters.

'Look up there to that tower. What do you think the reporters are doing in that place?'

Matt paused. 'Reporting I guess.'

'Exactly,' said Raynor, 'right now people across the sector are watching the last stand of the Sons of Korhal. The people who saved Mar Sara. The people who saved Antiga Prime, the people who brought the Confederacy to its knees.

'They're watching us make the zerg pay in blood for every step they take.'

'Heroes or not,' said Matt, 'Arturro is going to get away.'

'Get away to what?' asked Raynor. 'Even if he gives the zerg the slip, a pretty big if, no one will follow him now. His forces are broken, his colonies have thrown him out. The best he can hope for is to die in a bunker somewhere, knowing that he let the sector slip through his fingers.

'My father always told me "Son no one ever gets away with anything. It might not be tomorrow, or even with the army on your doorstep, but sooner or later your sins'll come calling. They'll be seeing you."'

Matt remained silent for a moment. 'I guess there are worse ways to go out.' He removed a pistol from his belt. 'I'd like to take a place at the front line.'

And then there was a terrible warping in the skies above. Out of the skies came a massive protoss warship, larger even than the Norad III. Many smaller ships were all around it and rushed to engage the zerg.

'Terran Commander, I am Tassadar, High Templar and Executor of the Protoss Fleet. I come bearing no ill will toward you or your brethren. I have watched your battle with the zerg and stand ready to aid you in your struggle against them.'

Short. To the point. Just what they needed to hear. 'Wow,' said Raynor, 'well hell, the more the merrier.'

'I commend your courage.' said Tassadar.

The smaller ships rushed to aid the wraiths in the battle against the zerg flyers. In mere moments they had slaughtered vast numbers. Then they were flying higher to engage others. The large ship then unleashed many tiny vessels. These fired tiny bolts of energy which alone didn't do much. But when coupled with the sheer number of them killed zerg like crazy.

Before Raynor's eyes, he saw many blurs appear throughout the lines. Then he saw the protoss for the first time up close. They were huge, some almost eight feet tall or more. Their skin was scaly and they had only three fingers on each hand. Their legs were inverted and on their hands were long blue sabres.

They rushed into the zerg and began to tear them apart in hand to hand. They killed so many in a single instant that he wondered if they couldn't take the zerg single-handed. It didn't even look like a fair fight. Raynor raised his communicator. 'All right boys support the protoss. Careful not to hit them, though.'

Another kind of protoss made an appearance. Walkers that trod on four legs and launched plasma shots. They could burn through a dozen zerglings at once. The marines worked with them to clear out the zerg. The firebats did their best to keep up with the protoss warriors. But the Sons of Korhal seemed more like kid sidekicks in comparison.

* * *

Mengsk had no idea what to think. Across the surface of Tarsonis protoss warships had been appearing. With them vast numbers of smaller ships, and infantry units. Raynor's response to their offer, that had been heard by everyone in the fleet, had also been heard. Mengsk had been quick to confirm it, and soon the zerg were being overwhelmed by the fury of the defense.

Terran and protoss slaughtered their way through the creatures. Soon the zerg were forced to yield ground as their fleets were driven back. Their ground forces were routed and the assaults on their hive clusters resumed. Hope returned, as though it had never left.

All he had to do was watch as what he had believed would be his end, became his greatest triumph yet. Yes, if he could establish a peaceful dialogue with the protoss. Ir better yet, a military alliance his new order would be almost unstoppable. Already he was scanning through the various opportunities and policies.

'Ensign,' he said, 'make contact with Executor Tassadar.'

'How?' asked the ensign.

'Let's try to do it the old fashioned way.' said Mengsk ruefully.

'Alright,' said the ensign, 'we're patching you through.'

'Protoss commander,' said Mengsk, 'my thanks to you sir, for your timely arrival. Our situation was beginning to look grave.'

'It is of no consequence.' said Tassadar. 'The zerg are the enemies of all who live.'

'That much we can agree on.' said Mengsk. 'I hope that our peoples might come to a mutual understanding. Your actions have somewhat obtuse to us.'

'You cannot deceive me.' said Tassadar. 'Among the terrans, we have become known as being nearly as much of a threat as the zerg. And had I followed the intent of my orders you would have been correct to do so.

'Yet there is no time for this. We must press our advantage! Forward my brethren! Let not a zerg survive!'

The letter of his orders. There had been some kind of conflict between the protoss high command and its general. This conflict had turned to humanity's benefit. Mengsk remembered well Serena's refusal to use the psi emitters on Antiga Prime. Perhaps the protoss were not quite so alien as he had thought.

'This is Kerrigan!' said Kerrigan's voice over an open channel to all units. 'We've held our ground as long as we can, but there is a wave of zerg advancing on our position. We need immediate evac!'

'Duke,' said Mengsk, 'take your portion of the fleet and provide support to New Gettysburg spaceport. Cover them and commence an evacuation.'

'Your forces will not get there in time.' said Tassadar. 'I will send mine.'

'Damn you Arcturus,' said Raynor over the com. 'I told you this would happen!'

'Uh… boys…' said Kerrigan. 'How about that evac?'

The protoss and the Sons of Korhal battlecruisers were being dispatched. Very soon they would be there. Yet from the sounds of things Kerrigan didn't have that long. Mengsk turned away, he had a battle to run. 'Helmsmen, signal the fleet and launch a full offensive against the zerg. Then seal off the Ion Cannon. The Old Families will pay for this… atrocity.'

'Commander!' cried Kerrigan. 'Jim?! Hurry up!'

Mengsk realized that in another world, all the devastation could have been his fault. He froze in place, eyes widening and mouth ajar as the line went dead. He had planned this, all of it. He'd planned to unleash the zerg on Antiga, and for an encore do it to Tarsonis. If Serena hadn't refused his order...

His high command wouldn't have tolerated it. Raynor would have broken with him, and Calabas would have gone with him. Kerrigan might have been able to stop them. But if the protoss had intervened would he have sat by and let them reinforce the Confederates? Or would he have sent someone to engage them. Someone who he had reason to believe was becoming a liability to humanity itself.

Arcturus Mengsk had the feeling he had had a very narrow escape. He'd almost become one of history's great monsters. Yet he couldn't think about that anymore. 'Ensign, casualty report.'

The battle of Tarsonis was over. But at a terrible cost.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

And here we have it, folks. The moment when the missions fail us utterly. All the changes which have been happening were all building up to this. A battle which doesn't mesh with the mission structure.

I guess the closest equivalent is when you destroy the protoss and then destroy the zerg. then begin laying into the hive. I've done it before, but since the protoss are backing them up in this continuity it doesn't work.


	30. Fall of the Old Families

**Chapter Thirty: Fall of the Old Families**

Over one billion people had died in the battle of Tarsonis. Only a small part of them were military personnel. The Confederacy had died as it lived, shedding the blood of its citizens to keep its power intact. More than sixteen times as many zerg were killed, but that was small consolation. Everyone had lost friends, and most people had lost family. Kerrigan was MIA, the protoss had arrived at a base on the verge of being overrun and shored up the defense. When Duke had arrived, he had annihilated the zerg broods.

Not that the fighting was over, it had just moved away from the population centers. The zerg had shored up their remaining hive clusters and made new ones on the far sides of the planet. Alpha Squadron was even now hunting them, alongside General Warfield and his soldiers. The remnants of the Tarsonian militia were being reformed. Into a military apparatus loyal to Arcturus Mengsk.

Serena sat inside her command center, brooding. Brooding over all that had been lost. Brooding over all that might still be lost. Brooding over all that might have been. It could have been so much worse, she knew. But her mind was scanning over things. She wondered if she could have somehow saved that extra billion. If she had done something different, maybe tried to hold a larger area.

The worst thing was the city itself. Many buildings were shattered, and the streets were covered in wrecks. Several skyscrapers had collapsed and now lay across the street. The zerg had torn apart everything they got their hands on. The only consolation was that they focused first on military targets. So they had ignored civilians who hid inside their houses. Unless all nearby military forces had been killed. In which case the zerg would massacre them without mercy or pity.

So much had been lost, and for what?

Raynor entered the room, the very image of righteous fury. 'I can't believe he actually sent her down there! I'm gone, and you'd better come with me. There is no telling who Arcturus'll screw over next!'

Ah, that. For that. 'Okay Jim,' said Serena, 'I need you to sit down and take a deep breath. Then realize that the entire universe does not revolve around your girlfriend!'

'He knew it was suicide sending her down there!' snapped Raynor.

'Most of her strike force is still alive.' said Serena. 'So that argument makes no sense.'

'He had no way of knowing the protoss would come to back us up!' said Raynor.

'If they hadn't we'd all be dead.' said Serena. 'And we wouldn't be having this conversation. Kerrigan knew the risks, and she accepted them. Mengsk doesn't have the luxury of making sure everyone makes it out alive. Even you and I don't have that. We have to sacrifice someone every time we attack a sunken colony without siege tanks. Someone had to hold New Gettysburg. Kerrigan was the unlucky bastard who was sent on a scouting mission.

'If we had known we'd end up fighting the zerg we would have brought a lot more firepower. But we didn't, and people died who might have otherwise survived.'

Raynor remained silent for a long time. 'Alright, fine, but I'm done with the Sons of Korhal.'

Serena stared at him and realized she'd about had it with his gung ho attitude. 'No,' she said matter of factly, 'you aren't.'

'No?' asked Raynor 'Listen lady, I didn't get into this to put Mengsk into power! I did it to get back at the Confederacy for what they did to my wife, and my son, and my mother and father! And god knows how many other people! Well, the Confederacy is ashes. I'm done.'

It was the last straw. All the rage and frustration which had been building up to this point exploded as Serena stood up. 'Fuck you Raynor!' she yelled. 'You don't get to do this! You don't get to drag me out across the sector on your little space cowboy crusade, then ditch me once you've left my homeworld in ashes!'

Raynor opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't for a moment. 'You think this is my fault? You think I wanted this to happen?'

'What was it you said before?' asked Serena, imitating his voice. '"Hey man, Arcturus' boys sprung me from the prison ship. Apparently, they're as frustrated with the Confederates as we are. I know their reputation, but they seem to be on the level. I think Arcturus wanted to speak with you."'

'Look I-'

'I joined the Sons of Korhal for you!' roared Serena. 'I didn't do it for Mengsk, or revenge, or even getting back at that jackass Duke! I did it because I liked you! Because you inspired me and didn't constantly beat me down for being a woman!

'I did it because… because you made me feel like there was some justice in this universe worth protecting. Like there was some point to all this madness. Without you, I probably would have abandoned Mar Sara.

'And I'm not alone. Thousands, maybe tens of thousands of the Sons of Korhal joined for you. Because you inspired them. Mengsk knows it, that's why you are sent on all the most dangerous assignments. That's why he lets you lead from the front, alive you're a huge asset but if you died in battle! He'd never need another martyr.

'You can't walk out on us now. If you do, you'll be no better everyone else. You owe us.'

The door opened, and Arcturus Mengsk entered. He did not look pleased with himself. Quite the opposite his hair was out of place, and he held himself unsteadily. He looked like someone who has seen themselves, really seen themselves, and not liked it. For a moment he was silent. His eyes were distant.

Finally, he tried to regain some semblance of composure. 'Gentlemen,' he said, voice dry, 'you've done very well. But we still have a job to do. The seeds of a new empire have been sewn, but if we hope to reap-' He paused and shook his head slowly. 'Forget it.

'Arturro Calabas is still in orbit. He wanted to watch his own world burn. He and most of the Old Families who were on Tarsonis are there. We've intercepted messages being sent between the Ion Cannon platform and Confederate Worlds. He's trying to hire an army of mercenaries to retake Tarsonis for him while we are weakened.

'We have sacrificed too much to let this fall apart.

'Take a task force up to the Ion Cannon. Destroy it. Capture the Old Families. And arrest Arturro Calabas.'

There was a long silence. After a moment Raynor spoke, his voice dead. 'Alright, I'm into it.'

'Let's go.' said Serena.

They didn't speak for a while after that.

* * *

Raynor's Rangers and Serena's own task force moved to land on the Ion Cannon's platform. Most of the fleet was busy purging zerg and setting up for the grand opening of the new order. Raynor watched as his men filed off the dropships by the hundreds. Thousands of men were at his disposal, to die at his command. When had that happened?

They were a far cry from the ragtag militia he had once commanded. These were professional soldiers, hardened by battle after battle. He didn't want to get them killed, and so he gave orders commanding one of them after another.

'I'm picking up a large number of transmissions returning to the Old Families. They're from the various fringe worlds they contacted.' said Serena from the bridge of the Hyperion which loomed behind. 'It appears that most mercenary groups are refusing to work with them out of disgust. All the rest either can't take us or don't think it's a good idea to jump on the bandwagon.

'We won't have to worry about my uncle getting reinforcements.'

It was an ending of sorts, and Raynor felt he ought to say something to cap it off. 'Well Commander, it looks like the Old Families are on their own. It's funny. It seems like yesterday the Confederates were an unstoppable force pushing people around. Now we're the law, and they're the criminals. It must kill them to know that a couple of fringe yokels and one of their own did all this.

'Damn it; I wish Sarah were here to see this.'

'I've just finished my scans.' said Serena. 'Most of the Old Families are holed up in a heavily guarded compound just north of here. It's the primary HQ for the ghost academy. The other base isn't as strong. If we destroy its HQ we should be able to destroy the rest of them easily enough. Most brain-panned marines don't operate very well without authority. For now, we need to establish a defensive position to fall back on in case of setbacks.'

Her voice was strained, and so it should be. She had been asked to arrest her own family. And she might be bringing them in for a death sentence. Either way, it didn't change the job they had to do.

'Alright boys you heard the lady.' said Raynor. 'Fan out and set up checkpoints-'

There was an explosion, and half a dozen of Raynor's men were blown to bits. Siege tanks accompanied by a force of marines had taken the high ground and were shelling them. Raynor adjusted at once. 'Marines take that hill! Overrun them and take out those tanks!'

He led the charge himself, surging forward up the ramp. He fired his grenades among the enemy marines. Half a dozen of them died in a few seconds as the siege tanks fired again and more of his men were killed. Impaler rounds crashed off his windshield and he fired again. Then the rest of the boys came up and opened fire. Slow to react the brainpanned marines were gunned down. A barrage of impaler rounds gradually reduced the tanks armor. Finally, one by one, they exploded into flame.

Suddenly Raynor got a terrible feeling. His instincts were telling him to duck, and he did. A shot passed over his head, of the sort fired by canister rifles. 'Ghost on the hill! Cover that area in impaler round fire!' And he pointed in the general direction.

The ghost was cloaked of course. But cloaking fields didn't stop impaler rounds when fired en masse. The resulting barrage hit something, and that something was torn to bloody shreds. Raynor sighed. 'Alright boys, fan out and guard both ways in. Serena will be sending us reinforcements as soon as she can.'

The boys went about setting up defenses, quickly throwing up portable bunkers. It wasn't for nothing either, since the Confederates hit them and hit them hard. A great column of brainpanned marines charged their defenses and opened fire en masse. At the same time, siege tanks began shelling their position, in the process killing their own men. But it did a lot of damage. Several bunkers were blown to bits. After that, the Confederates got up close and personal.

Raynor shot down two through the face place with his gauss rifle from afar. His siege tanks blasted down a whole lot of enemy marines as they came. The counter bombardment landed among the men and killed a lot. But the Confederate marines were almost all dead by that point.

'Push forwards boys!' said Raynor. 'Get get close and personal with those tanks and blow em sky high!'

The marines charged and soon enough the tanks were destroyed. But a whole lot of the Rangers had been killed. Raynor didn't like this one bit. 'Serena, we got trouble. These Confederates have serious firepower. If we try and take em with infantry we'll end up shredded.'

'Right,' said Serena, 'okay just keep them occupied. I'm getting the services of some other ships. We'll see if we can take them out with an air strike.'

'You're going to use wraiths?' asked Raynor.

'Not exactly.' said Serena.

From aboard the Hyperion, Serena Calabas opened up a direct channel to General Mengsk. 'Sir, I believe a ground campaign would be costly.' she said 'Seeing as we've got a surplus of battlecruisers, I was wondering if I could commandeer a few of them for my use.'

'How many?' asked Mengsk.

'As many as you can give me.' said Serena.

'…You are looking to make a show of force then.' surmised Mengsk. 'All right, I'll reroute most of the standing fleet in orbit to an assault on the Ion Cannon. But they had best not end up blown out of the sky.'

'They won't get a scratch.' said Serena. 'I assure you.' She opened a channel to Raynor. 'Jim I want you to take your infantry and armor. Advance to just outside the enemy fortifications. Then watch the fireworks.'

'…All right,' said Raynor.

'Remember Commander,' said Mengsk, 'not a scratch.'

* * *

They navigated through the landscape of neo-steel and radio dishes. As they did, Raynor and his men met no resistance. He'd taken to his marine suit after the near miss with the ghost, figured he ought to have some protection on his head. It was eerie how no one was trying to stop them. They filed into position a ways south of the Confederate base camp. Raynor wondered what they were thinking?

It was a formidable defense in terms of manpower. Lots of siege tanks, and lots of men to defend them. Goliaths patrolled and wraiths swooped to and fro. Raynor looked at it oddly though. 'Well they'd probably beat us back by sheer numbers, but these boys haven't even set up a proper perimeter. No bunkers or anything. I thought these were supposed to be the best soldiers in Confederate space?'

'The best brainpanned soldiers in Confederate Space.' said Matt, who was in a marine suit until his wraith got replaced. 'And they have been further brainwashed for loyalty to the old families. I'm guessing they took some of the furniture upstairs if you know what I mean.'

'I guess.' said Raynor. 'Still too risky to attack, though, what is the Commander thinking?'

And then the fleet warped into space. Half a dozen battlecruisers warped right the hell out of nowhere. Their ATS laser batteries opened fire en masse upon the assembled positions.

In a matter of moments, hundreds of Confederate marines were blasted to pieces. Their armor was melted by the barrage. The fleet pressed on. Supply depots were blown to smithereens beneath a barrage of plasma fire.

Goliaths and marines scrambled to stop them, but they were disorganized. Unable to form a proper formation they were gunned down piecemeal. The battlecruisers killed the poor bastards so quickly. By the time their friends came to help them they were dead, and so on and so forth. The neo-steel floors of the space station glowed red hot as the bombardment continued.

Tanks turned to flee but were blasted all the same once the battlecruisers ran out of threats to shoot at. Raynor felt a surge of pity for the poor bastards. 'These guys can't even put up a fight, they ought to surrender.'

'Sir we've got incoming marines!' said Matt.

The remaining Confederates launched a wild charge. Both to escape the battlecruisers and to attack those they might hurt. They fired wildly as they ran, and were mowed down like zerglings in a choke point. Raynor moved forward to look at their faces. They were empty-eyed, brainwashed twice so Arturro could have a fallback shelter. Whatever they had done they hadn't deserved this.

He saw one, still alive and kneeled by him. 'We'll get you healed, son.'

'For… for the Old Families…' the man said, before drawing a pistol.

He was dead in only a moment as a dozen men shot him down. Raynor looked at the man and felt a surge of disgust. The Confederate Command Center was now coming under fire. Reinforcements had arrived from the other base. Goliaths and marines who were exchanging fire with the battlecruiser fleet. It was only delaying the inevitable.

'This ain't even fair.' muttered Raynor.

'Well, they haven't been fair to us.' said Matt.

'Raynor there is a nuclear launch incoming!' said Serena. 'Get your men out of there!'

'Shit! Pull back!' said Raynor. 'Pull back! We've got nukes coming!'

In a mad scramble, they fell away from their position and no sooner had they done so the nuke hit. There was a brilliant surge of white like and an orange mushroom cloud the size of a skyscraper. Raynor had to shield his eyes, even through the visor of his marine suit. Then there was only a burned out wreckage of satellite dishes.

They advanced.

'How the hell does Arturro have a nuclear arsenal up here?!' snapped Raynor.

'The Ion Cannon station was designed as a holdout area for the Old Families.' said Serena. 'The idea was that they could take shelter here in the event of a revolution on Tarsonis. If the Ion Cannon was activated they would be in a position to blow fleets out of the sky. And they could still receive relief forces.'

'Really clever,' said Raynor, 'so why don't they just keep this thing activated?'

'The Ion Cannon costs billions to run for even an hour.' said Serena. 'And the funding is paid for by all the Old Families. If they kept it running all the time the Confederacy would go bankrupt. Or maybe they would have to have less expensive wine with dinner; I don't know. Now cut the chatter, we're almost done here.'

The enemy Command Center was way too near the front. The last defenses had been swept away. Most of the base's buildings had been blasted to pieces in moments. The Confederates had taken shelter inside buildings, covering as the bombardment. The battlecruisers clustered for the kill.

'We surrender!' came the voice. 'Cease fire! We surrender!'

The assault halted. Out of the Command Center came a man in a white marine suit. Raynor and his men moved forward and pointed their guns at him. 'Where is Calabas?' asked Raynor.

'He's in the Ion Cannon.' said the man. 'The bastard has gone completely nuts!'

'You don't look brain panned.' noted Raynor.

'Of course, I'm not!' said the man. 'These guys are so heavily indoctrinated that they couldn't tie their own shoes. Let alone command an army! I'm supposed to command them! They're supposed to ignore any orders which run contrary to their programming!'

'Okay,' said Raynor, 'so why are you selling out Arturro?'

Mr. Calabas has suffered a complete mental breakdown.' said a marine with distant eyes. 'In light of his unfortunate luring of multiple zerg strains to Tarsonis the other heads of the Old Families commanded us to place him under arrest.'

'Then I declared him unfit for command.' said the officer. 'And so did the ghosts.'

'Wait, so the Old Families weren't in on the psi emitter plot?' asked Raynor.

'How the hell should I know?' said the officer. 'What I do know is that Arturro lured the zerg to Tarsonis on his own. There must have been some kind of falling out between Arturro and the other heads of the Old Families.'

'Great,' said Raynor, 'Serena what is the plan?'

'Raynor, take control of the Ion Cannon.' said Serena. 'Don't destroy it though, we might be able to use it for something. It's the only one of its kind. I'll land my forces to take the Old Families into custody.'

Raynor sighed. 'This was way too easy.'

* * *

Serena breathed out from where the ensigns were scanning through reports. Most of them were good. Victories won on the surface of Tarsonis with help from the protoss. Confederate hold outs surrendering. It was very nearly over, but if the ghosts kept on resisting they could end up having some very serious problems. 'Patch me through on an open channel.'

The ensign nodded and did so. 'You're on, ma'am.'

'Attention all remaining forces of the Confederacy of Man. You have fought valiantly to defend a cause unworthy of your efforts.' said Serena. 'However, the war is over. All your heroics will avail you nothing before the power which now rises against you. I want to parley with the chosen representatives of the Old Families, now.'

There was a long silence. After an ensign looked up. 'Ma'am, we're receiving a transmission from the ghost academy.'

It would probably be Constantino Terra. He'd always been one of the more outspoken critics of Confederate atrocities. Even if he did nothing about them. Tarsonis had probably been too much for him, though. 'Patch it through.'

The Confederate representative appeared on the screen. 'Hello dear.'

'Mom!' said Serena 'What the hell… why are you representing the Old Families?'

'Because the others weren't going to do it.' snapped Mara Calabas. 'They're a bunch of sniveling cowards. As soon as Arturro came to them with the brilliant idea of purging Tarsonis they all refused to have any part in it. Then he declared that he was going to do it anyway, and their only alternative was to remove him from command.

'And none of them did. Arturro was the only person in the whole pack with the slightest bit of ambition or drive. The others were content to pretend to be his rivals. Even while following his every suggestion and funding his every project. Once he made an actual order they were powerless to oppose him.

'They're even worse than he is! Arturro may be a sexist monster, but at least he tried to keep the Confederacy together! Meanwhile, they slept around with their mistress' and abused their children. It's a disgrace, and I'm as corrupt as any of them through inaction.'

'Okay,' said Serena, 'but why are you here? I mean…'

'Constantino Terra and I hit the books as soon as this fiasco occurred, there were a few sane members of that family.' said Mara. 'We were able to find regulations allowing us to have Arturro declared unfit for command. The other Old Families, however, weren't willing to go along with it. They refused to renounce him as their leader. They were afraid of Mengsk you see, and they wanted to stave the inevitable as long as possible.

'Arturro convinced them that he could find some mercenaries to evacuate them. They retake Tarsonis from the weakened Sons of Korhal. So we were stuck.

'Then your battlecruisers came here and started blasting everything in sight. They began to figure out that any military force sent to evacuate them was unlikely to arrive in time. If it was coming at all. So they panicked, and put their support between Terra and I.

'They sent me to negotiate in the hopes that I could manipulate you. They want you to manipulate Arcturus into giving us better terms. In truth, I'm not really feeling up to it.'

Serena considered her response. 'Look, Mom, there is no way I'm going to be able to save people who voted for the nuking of Korhal. Mengsk is out for blood at least that far. I… I'm sure I can convince Arcturus to let those uninvolved in the plot go-' Arcturus Mengsk appeared on the screen, looking furious. 'This is Arcturus Mengsk of the Sons of Korhal, and I will not negotiate.' I have lost my family, my world, my career. I have made sacrifices dearer than you cold-blooded serpents could ever comprehend. I and my subordinates have liberated Mar Sara, Antiga Prime, and many other worlds. From both the zerg and the Confederacy who tried to control them. And now I have lost my most loyal subordinate defending your throne world. From the zerg you have called down upon it.

'I will not make any terms with you. The Confederate armies will disperse and become part of the new order. Tarsonis will be given to such subordinates as I deem worthy of its rule. The zerg will be purged from the terran sector, one world at a time.

'As for you, I will give you one chance to surrender yourselves to the New Dominion. Immediately and unconditionally. Then justice will be dealt to each one of you as you deserved. Yet if you stand your ground on this... If you make me waste more valuable men in an assault on your remaining fortifications…

'There will be no mercy. Don't test my patience.'

'…Well what are we going to say?' asked Mara. 'No?'

Thus ended the Confederacy of Man.

* * *

Arturro Calabas' armies had deserted him. The thought rushed through his mind as he made his way through the Ion Cannon. He was accompanied by those loyal to him. The others they had betrayed him as soon as it looked like they might have to fight! Unfit for command, they had called him! No, no he would win. Even now he was making his way towards his personal transport.

It had taken him a while but he finally found someone willing to shelter him. The Kel'morians didn't like how powerful the Sons of Korhal were getting. They had offered him shelter, and a chance to reclaim his power. And all he'd had to offer them was the weapons diagnostics for a psi emitter.

His son was safely away, as were the other heirs to the Old Families. These he would rise to create his new empire.

It had been so easy. He'd use the psi emitters to destroy everyone! Tarsonis would only be the beginning of a glorious campaign! The sheep who had dared opposed him would be slaughtered and Calabas would be there to feast on the remains!

The doors opened, and he found a large detachment of Sons of Korhal marines waiting for him. Guns were trailed on him. Goliaths were behind them At their head was Marshall Jim Raynor, clad in marine armor. He'd seen his personnel file when Duran had mentioned his arrest! How dare he! How dare a sheep like him stand here and do this!

'Out of my way rabble!' roared Calabas.

'Arturro Calabas.' said Raynor. 'By unleashing the zerg on folks across the sector, you and your associates have violated just about every law we fringe yokels have. We don't take kindly to troublemakers.

'As of right now, you are all under arrest. Throw down your weapons and I can promise you a fair trial.'

'You dare to get in my way!' roared Arturro. 'I am Arturro Calabas, head of one of the noble and ancient Old Families! The likes of you could never understand the responsibility which that entails! If I had not destroyed your miserable little hovel on Mar Sara the Confederacy might have been overrun by lawless pirates! Pirates and ungrateful rebels like you!'

'It looks pretty overrun to me.' said Raynor. 'Anyway, that was me asking nicely. Throw down your weapons, and your men might live to see old age.'

Unacceptable, impossible! Beyond redemption! How dare this… this dirt farmer! This fringe yokel stand before him with superior firepower and demand his surrender! He was part of the Old Families! He always had superior firepower, that was the way it worked!

Yes, this was just an illusion! A trick!

'Put down your weapon!' said Raynor, firmly.

Arturro raised the gauss rifle in his hand. He had never been trained with it, but one of his glorious lineage needed no training to become a prodigy! He would crush these miserable rebels singlehanded and-

* * *

Jenny was kind of new to this whole reporting thing. Even so, she'd had an awesome opportunity. Thanks to a number of casualties among the news crews she had been given the once in a lifetime chance. She'd even gotten to wear a cool space suit.

Sure a billion people were dead, but space suits!

'Hi everyone, I'm here on the Battlestation Hammer where the Ion Cannon is based. Behind me, you can see Captain Jim Raynor of the Sons of Korhal. He's waiting outside the Ion Cannon's only entrance. It is believed that Arturro Calabas will try to flee the station with the recent surrender.

'As we earlier stated in our report there has been a falling out between the Old Families. They claim that Arturro Calabas acted alone when he planted the psi emitters on Tarsonis. What this will mean for the future of the Old Families, especially given General Mengsk's notorious hatred of them, is unclear.

'What? I've just received news that Arturro Calabas is leaving the Ion Cannon.' She turned and behind her, a dozen or so marines fanned out around Arturro. Raynor went forward. 'It seems that there is a standoff developing between them. Viewers would be well advised that the following images may become disturbing.'

What happened next wasn't pretty.

'Cut to commercial! Cut to commercial!' screamed the director.

Jenny smiled.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

Well, this is the final mission, and like before it departs from canon. In the original Hammer Falls, Duke and Mengsk are both highly motivated to destroy Raynor. They also had a great many outside resources. Even if Raynor wins, it isn't a big deal.

In contrast, the Confederates here are making a last stand and are facing impossible odds. It kind of fits that they should have a complete breakdown of command, at least that's how I see it.

Also sorry this chapter is late. My browser messed up for some reason. The closer I get to the end of this story, the more unsure I feel about posting the next chapter.


	31. The Inauguration

**Epilogue: The Inaguaration**

Sending a news crew into chronicle the arrest of Arturro Calabas had been a last second decision. It had been suggested by Handy Anderson when the surrender went down. The idea had been to show an image of a historic moment in the end of the Confederacy. Instead what they showed was Calabas and his assembled guards being massacred. The scene might as well been an execution by firing squad. Arturro and his marines didn't even get off a shot before they were plastered across the wall.

In retrospect sending a cowboy cop to arrest a mass murderer had not been Mengsk's best moment. Then again, Arcturus had been planning to blow Arturro's brains out on camera. Possibly holding the pistol. There had been quite a few unplanned executions of during the conquest of Tarsonis. It had begun with Emily killing a Commander of Cerberus Squadron and then continuing.

A number of less well-known own members of the Old Families had been shot dead by Sons of Korhal. The soldiers were quick to enforce their own brand of fringe justice. Arcturus might not have approved, but he could not blame them.

The sector was angry. It had spent centuries under the crushing thumb of the Confederacy. Now all that hostility had been unleashed. It had been tempting to let it run its course, but he put a stop to it. Arturro Calabas would be the last of such executions. The record would show he died resisting arrest.

Which he did. Technically. Even if Jim was a bit quick to the trigger.

Mengsk's conscience was clear in that regard. Where it was not clear was in the matter before him. 'Samir Duran,' he said, 'you must realize that your weapons have claimed a great many innocent lives. There are those among my cabinet who believe you should join your former employer.'

'I am a professional, General.' said Duran. 'When I am asked to do something I do it without question. It is a quality which my employers found useful. As for the research into the zerg, I will confess that there has been a certain amount of waste in that regard.

'However, I stand ready to remedy the situation.'

'And you will.' noted Mengsk. 'Though I note you were less than professional regarding Calabas?'

'I would think my reaction was somewhat understandable, given the circumstances.' said Duran. 'Let us say that Mr. Calabas terminated my terms of employment rather when he left me to fend for myself. On a world he lured the zerg to, I might add.'

Images of Kerrigan came to mind, and Mengsk realized that he had very done exactly the same thing. 'What exactly can Cerberus Squadron offer us?'

'Well, I possess extensive knowledge of the zerg.' said Duran. 'My experts can teach your scientists things which it might take them years to discover on their own. I also possess a device called the psi disruptor, one that is very difficult to use.

'It possesses the ability to-'

'Disrupt the zerg's communications.' said Mengsk. 'We are more informed than you might believe. Commander Calabas observed it in action on Mar Sara. We learned what role it played in your agenda when we found the data on the psi emitter.

'How well does it work?'

'It possesses the ability to disrupt the hive mind's control.' said Duran. 'However, what you might not know is that the zerg hive mind employs many lesser creatures. We have identified them as cerebrates. When the psi disruptor is employed near a cerebrate, its effect becomes less robust.'

'And what about the hive mind itself?' asked Mengsk.

'We have never encountered any entity which can be considered a body for the hive mind.' said Duran. 'However, if such a form exists, I should guess that the psi disruptor would be ineffective.'

'Then it can only be used on colonies and outlying bases.' surmised Mengsk. 'Commander Duran you will put your psi disruptor at my forces disposal at once. You will use it to assist in the destruction of the zerg on Tarsonis.

'You will also compile all files and data pertaining to the zerg, the psi disruptor, and the psi emitters. Once you have done that, we will discuss the full repayment of your debt to society.

'Am I clear?'

'Transparently, General.' said Duran.

Mengsk cut the channel and sighed. Raynor came up behind him at that moment, now back in uniform. He had grown into the outfit, or perhaps the outfit had come to conform to him.

'Why aren't we shooting him?' asked Raynor.

Mengsk thought of what he had learned regarding Duran. The files from the ghost program had been informative. Best to keep those to himself. 'The man is slime.' said Mengsk. 'However his psi disruptor could be a valuable asset. And his people are the most experienced in dealing with the zerg.'

'That is why we should be shooting him.' said Raynor.

'I won't pretend I didn't take a great deal of personal satisfaction from that display on the Ion Cannon, Jim.' said Mengsk. 'Not in the least because we gave him every chance to back down. However, Calabas was of no further use to us.' He paused. 'Arturro I mean, not Serena.'

'How benevolent of you.' said Serena as she entered. 'I've gotten reports from some of the outlying colonies. The zerg Arturro drew here were drawn from the garrisons on a lot of different hives. While we were fighting here the colonies managed to do serious damage to the zerg in terran space. Some were liberated.

Unfortunately, it's not all good news. Word is that the Squadrons are mustering troops to carve out their empire. Schezar is smart, he's gone out of his way to distance himself from the Confederacy. Since Delta Squadron is still intact, he is in a position to establish a serious foothold.

'With Omega, Nova and Gamma Squadron's backing him up we have a serious rival.'

'Then we will need to arrange for a public relations victory.' said Mengsk. 'Our first priority is to crush as many zerg hives as possible before they can recover. To this end, I am dispatching General Davis and Commander Raynor to deal with the problem.'

'Commander?' asked Raynor, blinking.

Mengsk smiled offered him a badge. This had been a long time coming. 'Congratulations Jim, you've more than earned it. Of course, you will need a flagship.' He stepped back and motioned to the console. 'The Hyperion is yours.'

Clapping broke out from the bridge as people looked on. Raynor looked far more lost than Serena had ever seen him. She slapped him on the back. 'Congratulations Jim!'

'I… I never figured I'd make Commander.' Raynor admitted.

'Well I'll need someone to run things while I'm setting thing in motion.' said Mengsk. 'You'll have time to get your command crew together later. Ordinarily, I would have given it to Kerrigan but,' He sighed and looked down, 'casualties happen.'

'Right,' said Jim, 'so I'm taking orders from Davis?'

'No.' said Mengsk. 'You are your own chain of command. I may give you specific instructions from time to time on matters of import. But what I need you to do is be on hand to respond to calls of distress from the fringe worlds. Davis will deal with the zerg in the more populated worlds. But the Hyperion will remain where it always has been.'

'What about me?' asked Serena.

'Truth be told I would have given the Hyperion to you.' said Mengsk. 'But Tarsonis is a mess. And unlike the other zerg colonies its hive clusters are brimming with energy. I'll need a skilled Commander here for months, and since you know the ground…'

'Right, right,' said Serena, 'you need me to purge the zerg here. I suppose I'll have to take up the post of Colonial Magistrate a bit early. What about Duke and Alpha Squadron?'

'Duke will be focused on consolidating the Sons of Korhal's control over the sector. The recapture of Vardona is a priority.' said Mengsk. 'Although I am leaving a detachment of troops here on Tarsonis to help you Commander. Lieutenant Swallow has developed a reputation as a zerg hunter. I expect that under your command the situation on Tarsonis will be resolved quickly. Then we'll be able to channel your forces to other fronts.' He paused. 'Now if you will excuse me, I have a speech to write.'

As Mengsk strode out of the room, Serena remained silent for a long moment. Then she glanced to Raynor. 'You know he's going to make himself an Emperor right?'

'Yeah.' said Raynor. 'Didn't you?'

* * *

Michael Liberty awoke and was immediately surprised. His shoulder ached like hell. He was lying in a white bed, in a white room with windows whose curtains filtered the light. He shielded his eyes with one arm and pulled himself up. He pulled himself up and looked at his arm.

His shoulder was metal. How the hell had that happened?

A door opened, and Emily entered it. 'Oh, Liberty I didn't know you were awake.'

'Emily,' said Michael, 'what the hell happened?'

'You've been slipping in and out of consciousness for a few days now.' said Emily. 'Everyone thought you were dead, but one of those protoss warriors sensed you were still alive. He pulled a hydralisk off you and we got you medical attention.

'Most of your shoulder was burned off. You had to go through some serious operations.'

'Great,' said Michael, 'so now I'm a cyborg. Who's paying for this?'

'Mengsk volunteered to pay for the surgery,' said Emily, 'but Handy Anderson got there first. Tarsonis is badly off. A lot of people got killed, and a bunch of the outlying settlements were wiped out completely.

'Magistrate Calabas, Serena that is, is the one running everything now. I've been working with her to purge the zerg here, but it is taking a long time-'

'Slow down.' said Michael. 'Yes or no, did we win?'

'Yes.' said Emily. 'A lot of people got killed but we won.'

'Okay,' said Michael, 'so there were protoss? Here?'

'Yeah,' said Emily, 'there still are. Their leader, Tassadar, took most of his fleet and left but there is a small group of ships still in orbit. They keep to themselves, they say they are there to stop the zerg from making an exodus again.'

'Oh so we're trapped down here with the zerg.' said Michael. 'Great, nice to know we never left Mar Sara.'

Emily smiled, but it was also sad. 'Well, you never left it. I sometimes wish I'd never gotten off Chau Sara.'

'Why say that?' asked Liberty.

'After we beat the zerg on Antiga,' said Emily. 'I was so glad to have actually stopped them. To have saved a planet from the zerg, to have won a victory which actually had some meaning. Then I found out, or at least Mengsk said, that the Confederacy created the zerg. That they were going to use them to destroy their enemies and take all the credit.

'I went berserk. I mean, it wasn't like with Omega Squadron where they go out of control. I was in control, and I… I killed everyone on that space platform. I didn't even spare people who were surrendering. If I had let some of them live maybe we could have held it.

'Maybe other-'

'Stop.' said Michael, feeling very tired. 'Look, one, Mengsk was lying. The Confederates didn't create the zerg, he even admitted as much to me. They were trying to use them. Second, what the hell has Mengsk been doing all this time?'

'Well he's gone to Korhal.' said Emily. 'It's been silent there for a while. I do know that a lot of the refugees who he saved from colonies. They had to be evacuated and are being encouraged to start new lives on Korhal though.'

'He's trying to recolonize that rock?' asked Michael. 'What is Arcturus thinking?'

'He wants to make things like they were before the Confederacy destroyed it.' said Emily. 'But I mean… we can't do that, can we? We can't go back, to before the Rape of Tarsonis or the Scouring of Korhal.'

'I get what the Scouring of Korhal was,' said Liberty, 'but what the hell is the Rape of Tarsonis?'

'It's what everyone is calling what Arturro Calabas did.' said Emily. 'Sons of Korhal news networks are broadcasting it everywhere as propaganda. Colonies have been joining us like crazy. Duke has conquered several Kel'morian worlds as well. Mostly the ones they took over while the Confederacy was failing.

'The other Squadrons have set out on their own and carved out a place for themselves. We aren't fighting them; we're all focusing on the zerg. But a lot of the men want to get even with more than the Old Families.'

'Right, right,' said Michael, 'so what happened to the Old Families?'

'Well everyone who voted in favor of the Scouring of Korhal were shot by firing squad.' said Emily. 'Mengsk wouldn't take no for an answer on that. He wanted to kill them by strangulation cord, but Serena convinced him to just get it over with.'

'Can't say I blame him for that.' muttered Liberty. 'Hey did that television just turn itself on?'

It had. The screen was blank.

'Oh,' said Emily, 'this is just like when we broadcast the Confederate war crimes across the sector.'

There appeared the UNN logo over a blue sky and a show of the flag of the Sons of Korhal on it. Stirring music began to play in the background. The view then showed a series of beautiful skyscrapers looming behind a midday sun. Wraiths flew overhead. Then a familiar voice began to speak. 'Fellow Terrans, I come to you in the wake of recent events to issue a call to reason. Let no human deny the perils of our time.' The view panned to a first-person perspective of a barren set of hills racing below. Then it changed again to show a marine, Sergeant Rockmore from Antiga Prime. He was looking up as the Sons of Korhal airforce rushed past. 'While we battle one another, divided by the petty strife of our common history, the tide of a greater conflict is turning against us, threatening to destroy all that we have accomplished.' Images of the majestic Hyperion surging over Tarsonis came through. Liberty reflected the this was real professional work. Then the images became grim, the sight of the Norad II falling towards Antiga Prime. How the hell had he gotten that footage? Then there were the views of the ominous zerg looming in the shadow of something, very scary. 'It is time for us as nations and as individuals to set aside our long-standing feuds and unite. The tides of an unwinnable war are upon us, and we must seek refuge upon higher ground, lest we be swept away by the flood.'

Then the images changed to a Confederate Battlecruiser exploding into pyrotechnics. It was bound to get a few cheers as Sons of Korhal wraiths rushed by. 'The Confederacy is no more. Whatever semblance of unity and protection it once provided is a phantom; a memory. With our enemies left unchecked, who will you turn to for protection?' Did he just broadcast a severed arm floating through space? That was bound to get shock value. 'The devastation wrought by the enemies of humanity is self-evident. We have seen our homes and communities destroyed by the calculated atrocities of the Confederacy. We have seen first-hand our friends and loved ones consumed by the nightmarish zerg.' Something was a bit more clunky about part of it. Michael got the feeling that he'd been forced to change something at the last minute. The sight of a Confederate science vessel was odd. But the images of a Confederate prison ship conjured ominous memories. Yet the best shot was one pointed upwards towards a skyscraper. It made the cityscape look downright surreal. The guardians floating above it were beyond nightmarish. The soundtrack here had been brilliant, stirring a mood of fear. 'Unprecedented and unimaginable though they may be, these are the signs of our time.'

And lo and behold Sons of Korhal wraiths came to the rescue. They were firing their lasers to obliterate a series of overlords. Dramatic chords heralded their arrival! 'The time has come my fellow Terrans, to rally to a new banner. In unity lies strength; already many of the dissident factions have joined us.' From the explosion of the overlords the wraiths raced out, home free. 'Out of the many, we shall forge an indivisible whole, capitulating only to a single throne!' A shot of underneath a battlecruiser then came up, charging a Yamato cannon. It unleashed the shot upon a Confederate battlecruiser, there was a huge explosion. One that heralded the final end of the old regime. 'And from that throne,' The view changed again to a camera rapidly zooming in on the city from before. 'I shall watch over you.' The music stirred the hearts of those listening as it began and a buildup.

'From this day forward, let no human make war upon any other human.' The camera was drawing very near a single building. What it was it focusing on? 'Let no Terran agency conspire against this new beginning.' A flag, it was zooming in not on a man but a flag. 'And let no man give ground before the zerg.' It changed to the image of the Sons of Korhal on a battlecruiser. Then it zoomed out to see an assembled fleet of terran battlecruisers. 'And to all the enemies of humanity, seek not to bar our way, for we shall win through, no matter the cost!'

Dead silence. Emily Swallow looked positively giddy at the prospect. 'Did you see that? The New Dominion is going to be what the Confederacy never was! It's going to protect people, and I'll have been there from the beginning! Oh, this is so great!'

Liberty clutched his head. Arcturus Mengsk had missed his calling as a media man. In all the years of Confederate propaganda, he had never seen anything so brilliant. The Confederacy had tried to make war seem clinical and glorious. To keep people from caring about. Mengsk had made it seem brutal and nightmarish, and yet he dared people to get involved. And made it look glorious in the process.

Liberty had never bought into Mengsk's cult of personality. He'd viewed him as another politician, and he still did. But Mengsk had played the part of a benevolent and wise leader to achieve his objectives in the sector. And he'd done it so well that he was practically indistinguishable from the real thing. 'I really hate that guy.'

'But he's so inspiring and eloquent.' said Emily. 'Really seems like the kind of Emperor I'd like to fight xenos for.'

Silence.

'That was a joke.' said Emily.

Michael Liberty wasn't sure which was more unbelievable. The fact that their oppressive oligarchy had finally been replaced with a dictatorship. Or the fact that Emily Swallow had made a joke.

'I need to write my report on all this.' said Michael. 'Can you get me something to write on.'

Emily supplied a holopad, and he began to type it up.

 _The New Dominion was founded in a time of crisis and tragedy. It saved a lot of planets from the zerg and did a hell of a lot of damage to the critters as they came. Quite a few people are alive today because of them, and they were only just getting started. I don't buy into the cult of personality for Arcturus Mengsk, personally. But I'd be remiss if I didn't admit he got results._

 _He played the sector like a fiddle, gathering support to himself amidst the chaos of two alien invasions. His Sons of Korhal saved the worlds they could. They evacuated planets which they couldn't. And in the end, did the impossible and won without becoming the enemy they fought._

 _It was a first in the history of our race in the Koprolu Sector. And it led to a thing which nobody had seen in years, even though they never realized it. Hope._

 _People had hope again. For my part, I think that was the best thing to come out of this rotten period of human history._

 _This is Michael Liberty, wounded but alive, signing off._

 **-Liberty's reports, volume I.**

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

This was originally part of the previous chapter. But I figured the epilogue deserved its own segment.

Just a notification real quick. I actually did write far ahead into the next part of this story. However, I realized while I was doing it that it didn't really meet my quality standards. So I decided to dismiss it as a first draft.

There will be a hiatus for a little while so I can turn my mind to other stories.


	32. Authors Note

Someone in the comments section to the sequel suggested I explain why the next part of the story is a separate fic. For those of you who don't know, Rise of the Dominion's story will be continued in Birth of a Queen. That will chronicle the zerg campaign. It's out already. Now some may ask why? Especially since Starcraft Precursor was merged with Rebel Yell.

The reason is that Starcraft Precursor merged with the Rebel Yell narrative. It provided foreshadowing and establishing the Confederacy as dangerous and competent. It sheds new light on both Mengsk and the Confederacy. In base Rebel Yell, Chau Sara is a word. With Precursor it becomes a place we fought tooth and nail to hold which fell anyway.

Moreover, Rise of the Dominion was the terrans story. The entire story revolved around the terrans. Serena was the closest thing to the main character. But it was more the story of the people of the Koprolu Sector than any one character. Meanwhile, the main cast of Birth of a Queen will be completely different. The perspective characters will likewise be completely different. Mostly they will be zerg.

As a result, I felt I should make them separate fics.

So yeah, that's about it.


End file.
